The Game of Fools
by Exagie
Summary: Alice had decided that no matter what, she wouldn't pick up another key in her life. That's soon over when she accidently discovers a key of Jokers which soon switches the gender of all roleholders in Wonderland!
1. April Fools! You're in Trouble

**Hey Howdy Hey! Konnichi wa! Bonjour! Aloha! Hola! Hello!**

**WELCOME! 8D *throws confetti***

**Wow… The fourth story to the "Game of _" series. O_o Feels kinda weird. I doubted I'd even finish the first story, let alone three. |||OTL I think I'll have a little more fun writing this. I mean, c'mon! Who wouldn't have fun with gender bending role holders? XD **

**I don't really have a big plot planned out for this- it's mainly just a big build up for the last chapter… again. |||OTL I can't help it! I have a perfect idea on how to end this story- one of my dear partners in crime came up with it ;D-… it's just what's inbetween that gives me trouble. ^^;;**

**I think you Ace x Julius fan girls will hopefully enjoy this one. ;D Now, would that count as yuri or yaoi? XD**

**Fff, I'mma shut up now. |||OTL I don't wanna spoil anything for you guys.**

**ON WITH THE GENDERBENDS! 8D**

**

* * *

The Game of Fools**

_Alice had decided that no matter what, she wouldn't pick up another key in her life. That's soon over when she accidently discovers a key of Jokers which soon switches the gender of all roleholders in Wonderland! Can she fix this mess before the month is up, or are all the role holders sentenced to opposing genders… permanently?_

**

* * *

1. April Fools! …You're in Trouble**

Working for the Jokers wasn't bad.

"_Alice, the elephants are untidy."_

"_Hey w****, you f****** skipped a cell!"_

"_Miss, the net isn't tight enough."_

"_Bitch, you call this food? It's disgusting!"_

"_Princess, the acrobats won't be able to catch you if you flail like that."_

"_F****** w****! Who said you could wear a longer dress?"_

"_Young lady, the costume isn't tight enough. It'll fall right off."_

"_At least give me some f****** eye candy while you work!"_

No. It was worse.

It was a living hell.

Alice dragged herself tiredly down the halls of Black's prison; a bucket in one hand and a dirty mop in the other. Her eyelids were heavy and drooped, a dark cloud hanging above her head while she forced herself to continue down the gray stone. It seemed the inmates were getting sick left and right around the prison. Even a few jester children had colds. Was there a virus going around? Was it even _possible _to get sick in Wonderland?

Alice sighed, pushing her thought away as she attempted to focus on her single, simple destination; the closet. She had to put away the formally puked in bucket.

The foreigner felt relieved when she saw the steel door at the end of the hall, quickly pulling it open and shoving the smelly clean-up crew inside before slamming the metal shut. Alice sighed, spinning on her heel back to work. She still had another hour, at least.

The brunette placed a hand over her mouth, a yawn threatening to overcome. Things weren't this bad when she started. She's grown accustomed to the tasks quite well. However, lately she could feel her lack of sleep catching up to her, and the Jokers pushing more and more work on her shoulders.

Did they intend to kill her? Were they purposely trying to suffocate her in work? Alice shuddered at the thought, though was not entirely surprised by the idea. Those men were surely sadists, after all.

The foreigner struggled forward, feeling as though her legs would give out at any moment. Just a little longer and she could go take a shower and plop in bed until the next torturous morning. Tonight would be her last night working for the duo, after all- April was rolling in the following morning, and she would finally have repayed the men for their help back in February. It was a small price to pay, really, for them to save her virginity. She planned to follow this out until the very end.

_Of course, that doesn't mean I'll ever pick a key up again in my entire life. _Alice thought bitterly. She just wouldn't risk it.

A small, whistling noise caught Alice's attention to her left, snapping her out of the pleasant thoughts tomorrow was sure to bring. The outsider rose an eyebrow, turning towards the cell.

A man in a stuffed toy mask stood there; the oversized head tilting, reminding her of a broken doll. Even after working here for so long, Alice still felt that the use of toy costumes for prisoners was rather disturbing. It was like her childhood becoming tainted before her very eyes.

The maiden blinked, and the inmate whistled again; the noise attractive, seductive. She could already imagine the smirk behind the forced mask. "Mind bending over, sexy? Your skirt's blocking the way."

Alice flushed, taking an abrupt step backwards; her hands already trying to pull the maid's uniform lower. She suddenly felt quite violated. "D-Don't you know any manners?" she hissed, her face stained in red.

"Why don't you come in? Just for a little while. I'll be gentle." the prisoner promised, and Alice could easily see the smile behind his voice. She turned away, her face bright scarlet.

"K-Knock it off! That's harassment!" she clarified, clearing her throat to gain composure.

"It's not my fault. _You're_ the one in that little uniform… It's almost like you're begging for it." the inmate taunted. Alice gritted her teeth.

"Leave me alone." she demanded, her tone nervous. No matter how many times she was harassed in this world of perverts, she still felt uncomfortable under such a gaze, even if it wasn't seen.

"Aww, doesn't the little maid want to play? I'd love to f-" The man's voice paused, and Alice blinked, glancing at him curiously. He's dropped that sentence rather quickly, after all. What made him stop? Oh. That did.

"Didn't you hear the bitch? Leave her the f*** alone. If anyone's going to f*** her, that's me." The warden hissed, standing between the two; glaring at the inmate through the bars with his lone ruby eye. This was Alice's landlord- sorry, "master"- Black Joker. He ruled the prison with a watchful eye, and was part of the reason she had to work here in the first place.

"Excuse me?" the foreigner objected, placing her hands on her hips in annoyance, glaring up at the Joker. It didn't matter if he gave her a home or not; there was no way she would give herself up so easily to _anyone_, especially this man. "I never agreed to that!"

"Tch. Don't tell me you'd be embarrassed." Black asked with a mocking laugh, taunting her. "We've already see each other naked."

Alice blushed vividly at the memory, turning away shamefully. It was a recollection she'd rather forget. Only a few weeks ago Alice had accidentally walked in on Joker in the shower.

And he wouldn't let her forget it.

"Y-You promised not to mention that in front of others!" The foreigner argued, clutching the apron of her skirt uncomfortably. Black rolled his wine red eye.

"Tch. Fine, don't get your panties in a bunch." he said, pulling out his whip and aiming it at the prisoner. "I'll just kill him."

"N-No! Death doesn't solve anything!" Alice shrieked, shaking her head rapidly.

"Then make up your f****** mind, w****!" Black ordered, fed up. Alice huffed, looking away. When she didn't answer, the warden rolled his eye in annoyance, putting his whip away. "You're f****** getting on my nerves. Take the rest of the night off. You'll make it up in the morning."

Alice sighed in relief, nodding as she yawned unsteadily. "Thank you."

"Hmph." Joker didn't reply, but Alice bowed a little anyways before heading back to her room.

* * *

This was one thing she still wasn't used to yet; Black's _kindness. _She was sure that he had none in that black soul of his when she had moved in. What made him change so? Granted, he still had a harsh tongue towards her and took any chance he could to manipulate her in his own perverted, sadistic ways, but the cruelty she was so used to behind his words seemed to diminish into something else. What, she wasn't sure, but he didn't seem that intimidating anymore. Rather, she felt something else by his presence. Hmm, was there a word for it? Comfortable? No, that wasn't it. Relaxed? Close, but no cigar.

Safe? Specks of light pink dotted the girl's cheeks as she quickly shook her head, trying to clear her mind. Hah! Safe around the psychotic warden? It was worthy of laughter! Simply absurd! So idiotic! Stupid! So completely…

So completely true.

The brunette gritted her teeth, shaking her head once again as she grabbed a towel from her room and fled to the guest bathroom; refusing to pause in case one of the Jokers caught sight of her. She was an idiot. She would never feel safe around that insane man. What a stupid, preposterous idea.

Cautiously, Alice knocked on the guest bathroom, leaning her ear against the door. "Hello? Is anyone in there?"

Silence remained her answer, and the foreigner cautiously stepped in; eyes closed just in case. She had learned her lesson of assumption by now. The image of Black Joker in all his naked glory flashed through her mind, and Alice shrieked, shaking her head rapidly; chocolate locks flying, attempting to erase the image.

"Hello? White? Black?" she asked, even more so cautious, averting her eyes to the floor as she shut the door behind her and left to the white rack above the toilet; setting her pajamas down. She didn't hear any response or water, so the foreigner took a deep breath, looking up.

Much to her relief, the room was empty, and she relaxed; her muscles much less tense. That took most of her worries away.

When her shower was finished, Alice pulled on her long coal nightgown; enjoying its warmth from the cold stone in the hall outside before brushing her teeth, washing her face, and retreating back to her bedroom. She was feeling quite content tonight; maybe she would get a good night's sleep for once here.

Hah! Knowing her luck, such a feat would be a miracle.

Stepping into her room, the foreigner shrieked, collapsing backwards into the already closed door behind her; the maid uniform fallen on the floor. Her room seemed undisturbed; pictures in their usual places, clothes remained silent in their drawers.

Except for her unusual visitor.

A tall, slender, shirtless man laid casually on her bed, his ivory skin smooth under the golden lamp on her nightstand. His wine red locks hung simply, slightly damp from a recent shower as well. A matching eye watched her, appearing intrigued by her entrance. His thin lips pulled into a strange smile- a cross between a gentleman grin and a devious smirk. The stare made the foreigner uncomfortable.

Alice was about to demand why Black was in her bed when a new realization hit her. This wasn't the darker Joker; his pajama bottoms were the same black color of his soul. The pants this man wore were a scarlet, a strange golden pattern imprinted near the feet.

"White?" Alice asked, finally able to find her voice. Able to move again- free of the shock- she bent down to pick up her uniform, trying to gather all of the pieces.

"Sorry, did I frighten you?" the jester apologized, though his tone made it sound as if he were almost amused. He rose from the bed, striding to her side; helping her lift the pieces of cloth as well.

"Thank you." the foreigner murmured, taking the stray pieces of clothing and tossing them into a nearby hamper before cautiously turning towards the ringmaster. White was already sitting on her bed once more; leaning back ever so casually as if this were quite normal. "Um, what are you doing in my bedroom?"

"Is it wrong for me to be here? Am I not allowed to visit everyone's favorite outsider?" White asked innocently, feigning hurt as he gestured to himself. Alice's lips pressed together in a firm line, looking away.

"It's not that." she objected. "It's just… I wasn't expecting to see you here, is all. I thought you were already asleep." _In your own room._ she added mentally.

"I couldn't sleep." White replied simply, leaning back against the headboard. He patted the seat next to him, motioning for the girl to sit. Alice hesitated, and he frowned. "Aren't you going to relax? This _is _your room, after all."

"Erm, right." The brunette nodded, sitting down uncomfortably next to him, drawing her knees up to her chin underneath her gown. It was silent for a few moments, giving way to an uncomfortable tension. Not enjoying the atmosphere, she quietly asked, "You never did answer me. Why are you in here?"

White frowned unpleasantly, tilting his head at the girl. Carefully, he stroked his thumb against her cheek, soon cupping his hand around the side of her face. Alice blinked in confusion, allowing him to pull her gaze towards him. "I wanted to see you, Alice."

The foreigner rose an eyebrow. "How come?"

"It's your final day working for us, isn't it?" the ringmaster reminded her, and Alice nodded. "You still have to do whatever we want for the next few hours…" His voice dropped to a whisper- his face leaning in towards hers. "Whatever _I _want."

"W-White?" Alice stammered, her cheeks flushing in a light pink; black eyelashes shielding teal eyes briefly in confusion.

Before she could think, the man rolled over on top of her; his hands carefully pinning her wrists above her head and down onto the bed. His body hovered overtop of hers, and she could practically feel the heat radiating off of his form. His face was inches from hers; his red hair tickling her cheeks. His knees rested on either side of her hips, digging into the bed underneath.

Recovering from the shock, the foreigner struggled underneath of him, her cheeks flushing into red. "W-White! Get off of me! What are you doing? !"

"It's not fair, Alice." the jester said, using one hand to keep both of her wrists against the bed while he used the other to caress her bright red face.

"W-What's not fair?" the foreigner stammered, her eyebrows pushing together in confusion.

"Why don't you ever sleep in the circus rooms?" the ringmaster asked, almost sadly. "I only ever see you while you're working. You never come to just see me. Isn't that unfair?" His lips were leaning in towards her; his breath fanning her face.

Alice blinked in confusion. What was he talking about? "…What do you mean?"

White lifted his face abruptly, smiling sadly down at the girl. "I suppose you wouldn't understand."

He released her then; freed her wrists from his grip and climbed off of her. Alice sat up cautiously, resting on her knees; rubbing the marks left on her skin. She hadn't even realized he'd been holding her so tightly. She wasn't even sure if he knew himself.

White could feel her gaze as he stood up from the bed, preparing to leave. Alice quickly reached out and caught his hand, frowning unsurely. The ringmaster paused, casting a curious gaze down on the girl.

"White…" she tested her voice, almost as if she didn't trust it. "What don't I understand? What's all this about?"

The man stared at her a moment before chuckling softly, running a hand through her hair gently. "Nevermind. Just forget about it." he said simply before heading towards the door, creaking it open softly. He paused then, staring straight ahead as he whispered a quick, "Goodnight, Alice." and left, shutting the door behind him.

Of course, she wouldn't be able to see that devilish smirk that had spread across his face a he spoke.

Alice sat on her bed numbly, hardly able to comprehend what had just happened. She stared at the door blankly, trying to wrap her head around the whole thing. Giving up, Alice sighed, shaking her head.

_He said to forget about it, so just forget about it. He's tired- yes, that must be it. He wasn't thinking right. He must be stressed from work all day. _the outsider thought, clicking her light off before crawling underneath her blanket; nestling her head against the pillow. _Yes, that must be it…_

Pulling an arm under the pillow for support, Alice blinked uncertainly; something brushing against her fingertips. It was cool and metallic; smooth underneath her touch. Unsurely, the foreigner reached for it, resting her palm overtop of it.

"What in the world…?" she wondered out loud, clicking the light back on and tossing her pillow aside.

No.

_No._

NO.

Horror etched itself on the teenager's features as she took in the form of only her worst nightmare. Hadn't she just been freed by this madness? Wasn't she just _literally _done with this? How could this be happening again?

Right there, in all it's shining glory, was a small purple key; its paint glistening softly underneath the dim golden lamplight. Rather than the heart or a clover she was expecting, the top was in the shape of a mask; like those drama masks you would see in a theater. It appeared to be smiling up at her, waiting.

She reached down, prepared to lift it- just to see if it was real- when she immediately snatched her hand away, shaking her head. No. She wouldn't do it. Maybe if she left it where it was, it would disappear in the morning and she wouldn't have to deal with it again. Yes, it could just go away!

Her confidence diminished in seconds, and Alice slumped hopelessly on the bed, picking up the metal and resting it between her palms. It was such a useless hope, really. She had already touched it anyways. Leaving it alone was a pathetic dream.

Sighing, Alice set the key on the nightstand; sleep pulling over her. She needed rest… Yes, rest was good. Perhaps if she got a little sleep, she could think more clearly in the morning. Yes, rest…

All she needed was a good night's sleep.

**

* * *

CHAPTER ONE IS COMPLETE! BOOYA! *first pump* This wasn't supposed to be out until April 1****st****, but I have matters to attend to that include cosplay, Nightmare Gottschalk, photoshoots, and a fashion show. XD Basically, no internet time this weekend, so here's little early preview of the next game~! 8D**

**Next chapter might be up next week. I'm going to try to finish this all pretty early. The good thing about this story is that I can drag this out until July if I have to and not worry, seeing as the next story doesn't come until some point during the summer, and the Game of Childhood should be out late summer/early-mid fall. Just in time to celebrate the GoAHE anniversary! 8D Yay~! *throws confetti***

**I still can't believe we're on the fourth story… |||OTL I'm still so clueless on how to pull this off. How I figure this one? Joker fan service. Ace x Julius fan service. Blood with boobs. Vivaldi as a man. Let's see how this goes… ^^;;**


	2. What a Topsy Turvy Month

**2. What a Topsy Turvy Month**

"_-ice."_

She could hear it. A soft, echoing voice calling her name. It was faint, and she could barely making it out, but it sounded so familiar.

"_-lice."_

A woman's voice, that she was sure. It was soft and kind; almost melodic. If she weren't already asleep, it would have lulled her into such a peaceful state of unconsciousness.

"_Alice. Alice, it's time to wake up."_

Could it be? Was it really true? A woman's voice so gentle and kind… waking her up? Was she finally, really "awake"?

"Lorina?" Alice murmured, but the word came out soft and slurred; like a whisper to no one but herself. She could feel herself being dragged from a deep, heavy slumber. Eyes squeezed tight, she gripped whatever was so soft and comfortable around her; fabric slipping between her fingers. "Big sister?"

"_Let me handle this." _A new voice, not so kind and gentle, but still feminine. It sounded annoyed. Did she know this person?

She could feel breath at her ear; a gentle breathing against her skin. It would have felt comfortable if it weren't for the words that were spoken. "WHORE, WAKE THE F*** UP!"

Bolting upright in bed, Alice's teal eyes blinked once, finally taking in the scene around her. No, she wasn't home, but rather her bedroom at the Jokers'. The comforter was clutched tightly in her hands, as if to use it as a shield. Panting loudly, she glanced over, her expression blank.

Was she supposed to laugh, become disgusted, or curious? She really wasn't sure, so she kept her lips in a tight line and eyes wide and empty.

That was White Joker, right? The wine red hair, the ruby eye, the jester attire… It resembled him perfectly. There were just a few adjustments…

Like the fact he had boobs.

Indeed, the ringmaster before her was slightly shorter- more of a petite, feminine size- with a softer, womanized face and larger, doe eyes. The chest he had was no longer flat and solid as she remembered it, but now rounder, showing off breasts.

He was now a woman.

"What…" Before a comprehensible question could form from her lips, Alice stared again in shock at Black Joker, who had mimicked the reflection of his counterpart. The now feminine warden glared down at her, teeth clenched.

She couldn't help it.

She laughed.

"What happened to you guys?" she asked through her giggles, finding more amusement in their switched forms than either Joker liked. "A-Am I dreaming? Did you two become transvestites? What happened here?"

"Why don't you f****** tell US!" Black snapped, throwing a metallic object on her lap. Alice blinked, her giggles dying down as she analyzed the object before her in its purple shining glory. The key. That dreaded, wretched key lay on her lap, as if to mock her; to taunt her.

Oh. So that's how.

"Where… did you get this?" Alice demanded, her eyebrows knitted together. "I… I put this on my nightstand! No one should've been in my room! Unless…" She glared up at the men, eyes narrowed. "Which one of you was it?"

"Why the f*** are you putting the blame on us? ! It's not our f****** fault you left the f****** key out!" Black snapped, placing a hand on his hip; his voice higher and much more shrill than she imagined ever coming from him. The scene was almost laughable if she wasn't so pissed off.

"So it was YOU!" she cried, pointing an accusing finger at the prison guard. Black opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted. "What were you doing in my bedroom? !"

"None of your f****** business!" the warden shouted, hands balled into fists.

"If it was my room then it IS my business!" Alice argued hotly.

"But _your_ room is in MY prison, slut!"

"But _your _prison is MY home too!"

"But I own the f****** prison!"

"But I live here, too!"

"You don't f****** count!"

"I don't COUNT? Then what am I even doing here? !"

"You're here because you belong to us, mother f******** W****!" "I DON'T BELONG TO ANYO-"

"Would you both _shut up?"_ a new voice interrupted them, and Black and Alice both turned to a very annoyed White. The jester glared at the two, arms crossed and ruby eye narrowed. When the couple shut up, he sighed in exhaustion, running a hand through his hair. "You two are acting like such children."

"Tch. No we're f****** not." Black hissed. Alice pouted on the bed, arms crossed.

White palmed his face, sighing once more. "Honestly, Black. You're worse on your period."

The warden's face flushed red, a death glare set on the jester. "Shut the f*** up, b******!"

"Wait, Black's on his period?" A huge, amused grin spread across the foreigner's face at the thought. Hmph. Served him right! Maybe he'd learn to respect her for once after dealing with the pain of womanhood.

"That's none of your God damned business, bitch!" the prison guard snapped, but Alice smirked either way, silently enjoying the idea. A little more than she should.

"It's perfectly natural for a woman, Black. Don't feel shy about it." the female assured him with a kind, understanding smile. The warden glared, clicking his tongue.

"I'm not f****** SHY, you moron. It should be f****** happening in the first place!" he hissed. "Last night I went to bed without a scratch. This morning I woke up bleeding in places that _should never bleed!_"

Alice pursed her lips, eyebrows pinned together. "Did you put on any 'protection'?"

"HOW THE F*** WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN? !" the prison guard bellowed, gesturing towards his feminine form as if it were a curse. Alice flinched but sighed.

"I meant _after _you figured everything out." she replied, feeling a headache coming on.

"Well duh, what the f*** do you expect me to do?" he seethed. "I don't see how the f*** you girls do it. Those f****** tampons hurt!"

"…You're not supposed to feel them." the foreigner deadpanned. Black glared.

"Then why the f*** does it hurt?" he snapped, annoyed. Alice sighed.

"You probably put it- You know what? Nevermind." Alice shook her head, the topic becoming too awkward for her. Discussing how to rightly use a tampon to anyone- especially the Jokers- wasn't exactly on her "to-do" list of Wonderland, and she'd much rather not put it on there. "We'll get you pads."

"You mean those f****** diapers for girls? No f****** way!" Joker argued, shaking his head. Alice huffed, frustration. Were girls really this impossible?

"Well I can't help on that. I tried." she sighed in defeat. Black glared, opening his mouth to speak, but Alice narrowed her eyes. "Wait, isn't it going on noon?" She glanced at her alarm clock, glaring back at the feminine men. "If you have time to argue with me, don't you two have to get back to work?"

"F***!" Black swore, already bolting for the door. Alice sighed, palming her face. She was about to roll over and go back to sleep when she noticed White was still there, now sitting at her feet.

"The circus doesn't start for another hour, so I thought I would explain some basics to you." the jester explained with a kind smile. Alice's eyebrows furrowed, the moment of last night flashing through her mind. Him on top of her, pinning her down…

Cheeks flushed, she looked down at her lap, pulling the blanket close to her. "Basics to the game?" she guessed. Though she could not see, the ringmaster nodded; the sound of the bells on his hat giving her a nod of approval.

"You'll have more time to find the key. Isn't that a relief?" he asked, still smiling at her; his ruby eye watching her reaction, analyzing it.

"How long?" the brunette asked curiously, lifting her head and tilting it to the side; not exactly looking in his eye. He took notice of this, but merely smirked in response.

"A month. It's the Game of Fools- opposites, topsy turvy, call it what you will." White explained.

"So that's why your genders changed?" the foreigner assumed. The man nodded.

"The box…. It could be anywhere. You never know where it'll end up next. The seasons don't change, so it's not much of a clue." he mused. Alice gulped, but nodded, acknowledging this information.

"Did everyone change?" the foreigner murmured, but she was sure she knew the answer.

"Yes." White answered, his grin ever kind towards Alice. She finally looked up at him; wide teal eyes staring back into his single crimson orb.

There was a brief silence between the two; merely a gaze captured within the other, staring. It was so strange staring at a womanly version of the ringmaster, but deep inside she could still see it was White. Was that good or bad? There was something about him that was different. Not just the fact that he was a woman now, but something Alice had noticed since she moved in here. No, rather, even before. He had changed somehow. She couldn't detect what had exactly changed, but he was different. It was bothering her; what had changed about this man she had grown familiar with?

"_Hey, f*****! Grab for my f****** chest again and I'll f*** you up, b******!" _Black's echoing voice was muffled through her door, but broke the silence nonetheless, earning a sigh from the couple inside.

"I suppose I should get back to the circus." White admitted, almost regretfully as he stood up; struggling just a little to keep still in his heels. She hadn't even noticed the minor changes to his attire; a checkered overskirt with a black and red striped skirt underneath and tall, pointed boots holding him up.

Alice frowned as well, but stood up, sighing. "And I guess I should go stop him before he murders someone."

White nodded to himself, heading towards the door. He paused there, casting a smile back at the girl. "I'll see you later, Alice. Good luck with the game."

And with that, she was alone.

* * *

**I'm tired. =_= This chapter took too long. I decided I'm gonna skip the next story entirely and go straight The Game of Childhood after this. I don't have time to procrastinate on this series anymore and I don't want to keep you guys waiting.**

**I gotta credit Earth Riddle for this chapter and the beginning of the next. Without her, this chapter would still be in my folders, collecting dust. |||OTL Thank you so much, Riddley! *huggles***

**This is kinda pathetic to ask my readers, but I'm at a stump for minor parts in the next few chapters. If there's anything random gender bent-related that you want to see, just request it in reviews or private messages and I'll try to put some in. ^w^ I really wanna get through this story and move onto Childhood- I WANNA THROW MY EVIL FANBABIES AT YOU GUYS ALREADY. XD **

***cough* ^^;;**


	3. MixUps

**3. Mix-Ups**

The usually dull, quiet prison seemed to rowdy up in seconds when the warden stepped out into the dusty hall; his ruby eye narrowing at the inmates lining the cells around him. He felt humiliated. He, Black Joker- the most cruel, black hearted, unkind, sarcastic soul in Wonderland- had been transformed into a soft, doe-eyed woman; the very thing he threatened to rape if his demands were ignored. And what made this worse?

All of his clothes had been exchanged for dresses.

If there were ever a moment in the warden's life where he wanted to both crawl under a rock and bloody murder someone at the same time…

This would be that moment.

"Hey sexy. What you doin' all the way over there?"

Black turned towards the voice, glaring coldly at one of the toy-headed inmates. He recognized this one. It was the one he'd dealt with yesterday; the one harassing Alice. His stare turned to ice.

"Who the f*** do you think you're talking to?" the warden mentally grimaced at his voice. It was too high-pitched; too feminine. The voice of a strong woman, but a woman nonetheless. He felt so demeaned.

"Ooh. Feisty. Just how I like my women." He could almost see the smirk behind the man's mask; a smirk he himself often used on Alice no doubt. "This prison's just full of little things like you anymore, aren't they? The maid, and now you… This is more like heaven than prison, baby."

"How about I f****** knock your f****** ass straight back to the f****** hell you came from, b******!" the prison guard snapped loudly, storming up to the gate; one fist raised to the man. His heavy head tilted, seeming amused.

"As long as I can drag you down with me." The inmate purred, his hand slipping through the bars; groping one of the warden's breasts.

Black's face flushed a bright red- a feminine reaction, no doubt- and a glare pierced into the prisoner; his hand already reaching for his whip. "Hey, f******! Grab for my f****** chest again and I'll f*** you up, b******!"

The inmate chuckled lowly, his hand reaching for a stand of Black's hair while the other remained on his chest. "You've got such a cute tongue. I'd much prefer it in my mouth."

"B******.." Black's eye twitched, his teeth gritting in fury. He gripped his whip tightly, holding it back, preparing to swing.

"Black, wait!"

Heads turned towards the brunette rushing down the hall; still in her nightdress and waving wildly towards the man, trying to pause his actions. She paused in front of the two, panting.

"Heh, did you want some too, sweetheart?" the man asked, tilting his stuffed head at the thinly clothed maiden. "Well, how rude it would be to object two young ladies.. Heheh."

_SMACK!_

Alice gasped, blinking once as a strong, powerful blow came in contact with the inmate's oversized head; reeling the mask to the side. A punch. The man had been punched.

It was like it happened in slow motion. Alice could see every expression of pure hatred and seeping infuriation vibrating in waves around Black's body, all branching out to his fist coming in contact with the prisoner. She saw the inmate's head snap back, almost too far; his hands releasing the warden for the brief moment he needed to acquire his whip.

"F*** OFF, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Black shouted loudly, his eye piercing bullets into the man.

"Wait…" The word was lost in the foreigner's mouth and replaced with the click of a gun. Silver bullets flew in a blur before her eyes in three loud shots, piercing into the prisoned toy. Crimson dripped from the holes in the man briefly before he collapsed; his form soon fading into that of a clock, alone and empty on the ground.

He was dead.

"Hmph. Damned b******." Black muttered with a satisfied nod, the pistol transforming back into its original whip in his palm. He slid the leather back into his belt, turning towards Alice.

"Y-You…" the foreigner stammered, hands clutching the front of her dress, her legs wobbling uneasily.

"He won't f****** bother you anymore. There's no need to freak out." the warden's voice was calmer this time; back to its usual, sarcastic, Black Joker self.

But she wasn't.

"Y-You… You killed him." The words came out in whispers from her lips, barely escaping at all. He almost hadn't heard her.

"Tch. Bet your f****** ass I did." the guard answered, almost as if speaking to an idiotic child.

"But… you murdered him." Alice's voice rose just a notch; almost normal this time.

"The f****** deserved it. Tch. Shouldn't you be happy? I got rid of the idiot for you. I think a thanks is the least you can do for me, you f****** ingrate." the warden said, crossing his arms in front of his chest; a little awkwardly, seeing as he wasn't used to breasts.

Alice's head snapped up; her teal eyes meeting his lonesome crimson. She strode forward until she was feet away. With as much strength as she could summon, her hand flew forward.

_SLAP!_

"You can't just go around killing people, Black! It's not right! He may have been horrible, but he has a life too, and you have no right to take it from him! You can't murder whoever you want!" the foreigner shrieked, all her pent-up fright and anger falling onto the roommate before her.

Black's teeth clenched, and he swiftly reached for her shoulders, holding her closer- much to her discomfort- against his chest. Her face remained inches from his, and she could feel his hot breath fan onto her face as he spoke; his tone low and deadly.

"In case you've forgotten, this is my f****** prison. You live under _my _roof, and I can do whatever the f*** I want. I _killed _that son of a bitch for _your_ sake and mine. I don't want a f****** asshole raping my f****** maid- that's my job." he growled, shutting the woman up.

Alice stared up at him blankly, the words processing in her mind. He killed the inmate… so she wouldn't be raped. Did that mean… he was saving her? Did Black Joker… Coldhearted, uncaring, unkind Black Joker… _save _her?

For a moment- just a small, brief moment- Alice… smiled.

Wait a minute-_ "that's his job?"_

"Since when did raping me become your job?" the outsider snapped, gently pushing him away and taking a step back; one hand drawn on her hip. "I don' remember ever agreeing to this!"

"Tch. You didn't have to." Black argued. Alice huffed, but looked away, shaking her head. She knew he was joking; she'd learned that much by now. He was sarcastic. He didn't mean to rape her- at least, she hoped not.

And yet, she still found herself pouting; angry and miserable when he took control of her. He hadn't changed at all, so what was wrong with it? Couldn't she stand him anymore? She had gotten used to it before. Why did it bug her now? She didn't get it.

Sighing, Alice turned back towards the Joker, frowning up at him. Perhaps she'd never know. In a quiet voice she murmured, "We should go check on the others. See whose changed."

Black huffed, but nodded. "Get changed, I'll get White."

The maiden nodded, and the two headed off in opposite directions.

* * *

Wonderland had gone on an overall change. The morning brought a new level to word "horror" by the lifting of eyelids of roleholders on the sunshine day. Many- most- had noticed their change right away. After all, how could one miss those so obviously altered details?

Apparently a certain Hatter did.

Blood Dupre walked along the wide halls of his mansion, feeling rather sluggish and sickened. He hadn't bothered to cast a glance in his mirror when he woke up; all he knew was that his chest suddenly felt heavier, and his voice was higher-pitched than usual.

Perhaps he had caught a cold, he assumed. Or the flu. There _was _a bug going around, from according to what Alice told the twins at the last tea party. She had been swamped with cleaning duty. The idea had put a smirk on his face. Why, little slutty foreigner, forced to mop up inmates' puke. The idea appealed to him much more than it should have.

Of course, now it didn't.

That damned girl. Surely he must have gotten some sort of illness from her. Perhaps that was her plan all along. Get him sick like a dog to suffer. The wretched thing.

As the miserable Mafioso turned a corner, his self-pity turned into that of frustration and confusion. Before him stood a woman- her back to him- with long, curly orange locks that hung to her shoulders. Her skin was fair, and she fashioned quite similar clothing… almost too familiar. And were those rabbit ears on her head? His eyebrows furrowed as he neared this woman; straightening up.

Damned. She was taller than him. This did not please the boss one bit, but he smiled slyly either way, cleverly taking her hand in his and pressing his lips across its top.

"My, my. I don't recall inviting any guests over this morning. What could your name be, my dear?" he asked, feeling a little more confident- and arrogant- with each word silkily spoken.

The girl underneath his touched rose a confused eyebrow. "Ehh? I think you're mistaken. I live h-"

When Blood glanced up, the woman's words were lost in her mouth the moment their eyes came in contact. Why, this was no woman at all! This… This was..

"ELLIOT?" Blood snapped to the reality before him, taking an abrupt step backwards; specks of pink blushing across his shocked and outraged face.

"BLOOD?" the female Elliot cried in shock, face flushing a scarlet red, staring at the now womanized mafia boss before him.

Both men stared in silence at each other; faces bright red, unable to form a sentence. Finally, they both looked down at themselves, shrieking loudly. Why, they were women!

"What the hell? !" Elliot shouted, paling as he took in his curvy form. Blood, on the other hand was speechless; too many angered thoughts running in his mind. Only but one word escaped his growling lips.

"Alice."

* * *

"Why do I still have to dress like this?" Alice demanded, her face flushed a bright red as she strode alongside Joker, on their way to the oncoming Clover Tower.

"_Tch. Because we f****** said so." _Black snapped from the mask, but White placed a hand over the white item's mouth, silencing it.

"You do still have to make up that work from last night." the jester reminded her with a kind smile, but Alice could sense those mischievous thoughts running through both men's minds.

"But I could do that in my regular clothes!" the foreigner protested, wrinkling her nose at the skimpy maid dress she fashioned.

"Ah, but also keep in mind that if not for you, we wouldn't become women. And what a hassle it has been." the ringmaster said with a self-pitied sigh, almost longingly. "I had no idea how much you were harassed with the men around here. It must be quite bothersome."

"Like you wouldn't believe." the outsider grumbled, glaring ahead in annoyance. White cast her a sideways glance, but nonetheless returned his attention to the tower before them.

Creeping the door open, Alice peeked in, glancing around. "Julius? Nightmare? Gray?" Silence answered her, and the foreigner tried again. "Anyone home?"

"_Tch. Where the f*** are they?"_ Black demanded as Joker stepped inside, Alice leading the way.

"I don't know…" she answered in a murmur.

_CLANG!_

The brunette jumped at the sound of a clattering pot, both the guests' heads snapping to the kitchen.

"_What the F*** was that?"_ the warden demanded, confused.

"It was rather noisy." White chimed in, patting his ear as if to comfort it.

"Julius?" Alice called again, nearing the kitchen this time; Joker right behind her. "Julius, is that yo-"

Her words caught in her mouth as she stepped into the kitchen; her jaw dropped, eyes bulging from their sockets. Joker blinked, not having expected such a scene.

Was that… Julius…

And ACE?

* * *

**Cliffhanger. I know you love it. XD SORRY FOR THE WAIT D8 *dies* I'm gonna try to work on RMR and CoC again, along with find ways to go through this story. I wanna write GoC already! XD**


	4. Fool for You

**4. Fool For You**

The kitchen dropped dead silent with Alice's intruding voice; most faces much redder than before. It was a tense silence; one of speechlessness. No one dared to interrupt. Rather, no one had the gull to.

Julius- Julius _Monrey,_ the most conservative and distant man Wonderland had to offer- was sitting atop a kitchen countertop, in a dress- a _gown _of all things! Even worse, he'd grown breasts! Bigger than Alice's, to top it off. That wasn't why they were staring, though.

Ace- a feminine Ace, they might add- stood in front of him; hands on the mortician's thighs, holding him down. He was learning in towards the blunette, his tongue tracing in sloppy kisses down Julius's neck and exposed shoulder blade shamelessly, leaving a trail of saliva behind. His teeth grazed the mortician's skin, teasing it, threatening to bite.

Julius squirmed underneath the knight, face bright red; sweat brimming at his forehead. He glared down in outrage at the brunette, struggling to break free. "A-Ace! Stop it, you damned knight! Have you no shame? What if somebody steps in!"

"Who cares?" Ace asked honestly against his skin, his pink tongue slipping further down; fingers reaching for the hem of the mortician's gown. "You like women, right? I can be a girl now. You've been a virgin too long, man."

"W-What? !" Julius stammered, trying to shove his friend away, but Ace clung to him like glue. "Stop this nonsense! What if-" His words caught in his mouth at the sight of Alice and Joker in the doorway. His face bounced back and forth between pale and red rapidly, catching the knight's attention.

Glancing over his shoulder, Ace grinned playfully, noticing their company. "Oh, hey Alice! Was there something you needed?"

The foreigner was stunned. Speechless and numb, her teal eyes stared blankly at the womanly men in front of her. She wasn't quite sure what to say, to be honest. A sudden, unwanted flashback hit her; one of stepping in on her parents during a most intimate time as a little girl. She'd been scarred for life.

This moment wasn't quite that far off.

"_What the _f***? !" Black shouted from the mask, finally breaking the forbidden silence.

"Oh.. My…" White said, placing his hand over his lips questionably, at a loss for better words.

Finally finding her voice, Alice stammered out, "J-J-JULIUS?"

"A-A-A-A-A-" the clockmaker stammered, the words lost in his mouth. His face was a bright shade of red; embarrassed and speechless. Ace smiled widely, jumping to his feet- finally freeing his friend.

"Nice skirt, Joker." the knight complimented, giving a thumbs-up to White. The redhead smiled falsely, his eyebrows pinned together.

"Thank you, but I'm not getting on any kitchen counters for you." Joker replied honestly, rather uncomfortable with the situation. Ace's face fell.

"A-Ah, um… L-Looks like you guys… changed… too…." Alice's voice trailed off as she spoke, her eyes attempting to avoid contact with theirs. Julius was quick to climb off the countertop, making his way to the maiden.

"A-Alice! It's not what it looks like!" the mortician tried to explain in a panic, shaking his head denial.

"_Really? 'Cause it looked like you and the knight were about to f***."_ Black snapped, earning a heated glare from the mortician.

"Absurd!" Julius cried, his face flushing. "I wouldn't _touch_ that man if he were the last blasted thing in Wonderland!"

"Aww, that's mean, Julius." Ace replied, pouting playfully.

"You were certainly doing more than touching when we stepped in…" White replied, smirking smugly at the two.

"And I'm not a man right now, so it's okay!" Ace proclaimed confidently.

"Absolutely not!" Julius sneered.

"Um, not to interrupt, but..." Alice began, earning their attention as she cleared her throat. "Aside… from… _that, _we came here for another reason. We're here for a meeting, actually."

"A meeting?" Ace asked curiously, ruby eyes wide as he tilted his head to the side; long, russet hair of a woman tilting with him.

"I don't recall the incubus arranging any meetings…" Julius murmured to himself, blue eyebrows pushing together skeptically as he tapped his chin in thought.

"He didn't, actually." Alice assured them, nodding once.

"We did." White chimed in, placing his hands delicately on the foreigner's shoulders. His smile was pleasant and polite, white like pearls but fake like plastic.

Julius exchanged a glance with his pal. "A meeting?"

* * *

Alice shuffled noisily through her bedroom, teal eyes scanning from place to place in a hurried panic. No, no, no! Where could it be? It was sitting _right there!_ Where could it have disappeared to? !

She didn't hear his footsteps or sense his presence, so it was no surprise that she nearly jumped out of her skin when he spoke.

"My, what a mess… You think a maid would have the cleanest room." White said from the doorway, stepping in with a playful smirk as he lifted up one of the many articles of clothing that the woman had carelessly strewn on the floor in her frantic search. An article that so happened to be a bra.

"White!" Alice cried, quickly snatching her undergarments from the man in a hurried, angry blush; shoving it under her pillow.

"Are you looking for something?" the wine-red haired man asked, somewhat curiously as he leaned over Alice's shoulder, watching her desperately dig through her nightstand drawer.

"T-The key…" she stammered, her heart ramming violently in her chest. She felt nervous and sick; her stomach twisting, her mind boggled. "It's… It's…"

"It's what, Alice?" White asked, his voice lowering as he leaned his head closer to hers from behind, holding the rattling drawer steady around her as she searched for the missing item.

"It's…" she gulped, her voice running dry. "It's g-gone."

"Oh dear… You've lost it already?" the ringmaster asked, moving a stand of hair from the girl's face; his lips at her ear. His breath fanned her skin, causing her hands to tremble; pausing in her desperate panic as the womanly man behind her captured her attention. "That isn't very good, now is it, Alice?"

"W-White?" the brunette murmured, feeling uncomfortable under his touch. Something didn't feel right about it; his lips at her ear, his skin against hers… She sensed something more.

The jester did not answer. Rather, his hands slid overtop of hers, stroking the top of her skin. "Your hands are trembling… are you afraid? You shouldn't be. I won't hurt you."

Alice was silent. His words were not assuring. Her breath staggered as she inhaled, trying to calm herself. This did not escape the role holder's notice.

"Why are you so afraid me?" he asked honestly, frowning as he rested his face against the side of hers. "Is it that you think I'll hurt you? Because of the key? I'm not mad… You can ask if anyone's seen it." When she didn't answer, he continued, "I'll help you. Would you like that?"

Unsure of anything else to say, Alice stammered, "Y-Yes."

Smiling darkly, White brushed the back of his hand gently across her cheek, satisfied with the blush that burst on her face under his touch. "Wonderful."

"Are you two going to keep f****** standing there or get to the God damned meeting already?" Black's voice interrupted the two. Alice jumped, whipping her head around to face the warden; face bright red and eyes wide, embarrassed and confused.

White smiled cheerily, resting a single hand on the girl's shoulder as he turned to his look alike innocently. "We'll be right there."

"Tch." Black glowered at the two, refusing to budge from the doorway. Noticing this, White shot a wink to Alice, mouthing, "I'll tell him" before leading Black out of the room and down the hall.

Not before Black gave Alice a disapproving glare as he turned.

Alice stared at the two silently, clutching the front of her dress; body trembling lightly. She felt relieved to see White leave, yet disappointed at the same time…

Even worse, she felt guilty when Black had stepped in; the need to give an explanation bubbling at her lips. And yet, nothing came out.

Why did she feel this way? Did this have something to do with the game? Was that it?

Frowning at the drawer, Alice tucked it away, sighing once. She didn't have time to worry about her emotions right now. The key was gone, and that was most important…

She hoped.

* * *

The meeting would begin shortly. Several reversed role holders sat in the plush red seats at the front row of the circus; bickering amongst themselves, rather too loudly for the circus residents' pleasing. Alice hardly recognized half of the people there.

Everyone had transformed overnight. The Hatter mafia sat to the left of it all, quieter than the rest. Their heights hadn't altered, but their shaped sure did. Blood's figure had grown curvier, red lipstick boldening the frustrated pout on his face and cobalt eyes in slits as he glared at Alice accusingly. Elliot sat at his side, arguing with two identical young ladies at his side. Dee and Dum shouted profoundly at the rabbit, fashioned in blue and red themed gowns, their long black- almost slightly green tinted- hair in long pigtails at the sides of their heads.

The Heart Castle group seemed rather rowdier. Vivaldi had changed completely, almost unrecognizable. Her height had extended taller than Ace, with curly violet locks twirling down to her mid-back, bangs almost covering her cold, cruel eyes. Her chest had grown completely flat, and she didn't look the least bit amused in her red tailcoat and black pants. She barked off beheadings as loudly as she could in her new, deeper voice; blushing deeply as she shouted death to her assistants. Peter sat at her side, prepared to shoot the next maid to make fun of his change. Keeping to his original attire, the rabbit stayed close to his plaid outfit in a frilly red and white plaid gown- insisted by Vivaldi, no doubt; his hair in two loose pigtails over his shoulders. Ace sat at his side; shoulder-length russet hair bouncing as he teased the rabbit for his small cup-size.

The Clock Tower trio resided beside them; Julius palming himself in utter silence as Nightmare babbled about how interesting this new change was to him. He'd slimmed to curves considerably so, his long silver locks even longer; down to his waist. His silver orb stared widely in a hand mirror- only lord knows where he'd gotten it- a wide grin spread on his face as he poked and prodded himself curiously, enjoying this new feel. Gray- now with chest-length blue hair and a rather bigger built- palmed himself, fed up with arguing about how improper it was to act in such a way in public with Nightmare.

Finally, the Amusement Park group sat on the right. Gowland- his face rounder and facial hair gone- glared down at Boris, lecturing him for disrespecting his elders. Boris stared up at him blandly- lucky enough to only have grown a few unmentionables rather than exchanging his beloved haircut for something more refined. Pierce sat on the other side of Boris; eyes wide and watery, clutching himself of fear.

They were all so strange.

"Um, pardon…" the brunette tried to interrupt through a black megaphone White lent her, feeling uncomfortable in the center ring between the two Jokers. She never knew beforehand that Black could stay outside at the circus next to the jester until she actually _moved _there. The circus was, after all, only an illusion to disguise the prison; it made sense _now_. Clearing her throat, Alice repeated, "Pardon! May I have your attention? …Please?"

She went unheard to the noisy crowd as arguments rose, one accusing another with fingers and irritated words. The foreigner frowned. "Please? Listen, for a moment?"

Black rolled his visible eye in annoyance "Give me that." he growled, snatching the megaphone from the woman rather abruptly. Alice blinked in confusion, turning her attention up to the warden. Black turned the volume up loudly, his voice rising to a point where the maiden and ringleader had to cover their ears. "SHUT THE F*** UP YOU GOD DAMNED INGRATES AND LISTEN TO THE F****** WHORE!"

The room dropped silent; many role holders covering their aching ears with their hands. Black glared, handing the megaphone carelessly back to the maiden. Alice clumsily caught it, shooting a quick glare up at the warden before clearing her throat, sighing as she held the megaphone up again.

"…Thank you." She began, straightening up. "I guess you're all wondering why I invited you all here today."

"Not really." Blood replied boredly, his tone sour. Alice's eye twitched.

"Ahem. I _invited _you all here because it seems Wonderland has gone under some… changes." the maiden said, but was quickly interrupted.

"You think?" the prison guard snapped. Alice huffed.

"If you'd please!" the brunette hissed before returning to the small audience, raising her head a little. "I'm sure you all know about the games by now- with the keys? Well… that's… kind of what happened here. Except, we have a problem… We don't know where the key is."

"Brilliant. And what are we supposed to do? Stay in these bodies for God knows how long?" the hatter snapped irritably from his chair. It was obvious he had yet to have his daily dose of tea.

"If you would _listen please_." Alice hissed, waiting for the room to quiet down once more. When it did, she sighed. "Thank you. Now, the Jokers said you all have two weeks before this is permanent… During those two weeks, if you find a metal purple key, _please _let me know! We need this key to get you all back to normal, and without it… Well…" She trailed off, feeling no further need to continue. "I wish you all luck. I really do. Being a girl is hard..." She glanced at an annoyed Vivaldi and quickly added, "-and I'm sure being a man is just as difficult. What I'm saying is… Good luck. You'll need it."

"Can we go now?" Dee and Dum asked in unison, yawning in boredom of the poorly given speech. "There's poison mushrooms we want to get."

Alice groaned, palming herself. "…Sure. You can all leave now."

The crowd's noise rose again as the role holders left unhappily, quite a few complaining about a waste of their time. Alice groaned, plopping onto the ground in exhaustion when they'd all left.

"I hate these games…" she moaned, more to herself than anyone in particular; her face resting on the ground.

"Tch. Stop complaining and get your ass up. We can't f*** you at this state." Black snapped. Alice shot him a tired glare.

"Haha! Don't fret, princess." White assured her, kneeling down to run his fingers through her hair. "We'll go searching for it now. I don't have any shows today, so we'll have time."

Alice sighed. "Thanks, White."

White held a gentlemanly hand out to her, to which Alice took it gratefully, allowing him to help her rise to her feet. Black sneered distastefully at the scene, not enjoying their sudden friendliness. Hadn't White been cruel to her before? What was with his sudden change? Something was up; he could sense it.

"We'll be back soon." Alice assured the darker Joker, brushing off specs of dust from her gown. "Don't cause too much trouble while I'm gone, okay?"

"Tch. What are you, my mother?" Black retorted. Alice sighed, shaking her head.

"I'll see you soon." she muttered, and with that she waved him off, leaving the tent with a smirking jester beside her.

* * *

***pant* *pant* *dead* I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT. DX You have no idea how much this chapter killed me. I'll try to get this done between this month and June. I hope. |||OTL School has caught up to me and I hardly have time to get fanfic chapters out each day. I'm sorry. D: I usually stay up rather late trying to finish these; I hope they go appreciated. |||OTL **

**I swear, for all my fanfics as of late, EarthRiddle has been the one to get me through them all. Without her, these would still be rotting with dust. |||OTL PLEASE, if you're going to give credit to anyone for these even showing up anymore, give it to her. That yaoi saint deserves it.**

**When will the next chapter be out? Who the hell knows. I'd like them to start coming out sooner, but I can't promise anything. What I CAN promise though, is when summer kicks in and all my school is caught up with, prepare to feast on some fast-paced chapters! :D Maybe I'll finally finish CoC and RMR. XDDD**


	5. Obsession

**5. Obsession**

The sun didn't beat down on the circus duo as much as Alice was used to as they trailed fatigued- more so Alice than her partner- through town. Which territory it belonged to, though, Alice was unsure. Dark clouds rolled overhead, threatening rain. Where had the sun gone? What about the seasons? When did they disappear?

"It looks like it's going to storm soon." Alice noted worriedly, nervously glancing between the brick path and the looming darkness overhead. "I didn't know Wonderland even had rain."

"It doesn't." White said at her side, also raising an eyebrow at the clouds. "Only during this time."

"This time?" the foreigner faced the jester now, tilting her head in confusion.

"During this game- The Game of Fools." Joker explained, glancing briefly to the girl on his left before continuing. "Everything is upside down- not how it's supposed to be. The rain proves that."

"Oh." Alice replied, returning her attention to the sky. She frowned. "Does it ever stop?"

"Not once." White answered honestly. Noting Alice's worried gaze, he smiled, gently slinging an arm around her shoulders. "But you have nothing to worry about, princess. I won't let you be harmed."

Alice's eyebrows pinned together unsurely, feeling a little uncomfortable under his touch. "T-Thank you."

"My pleasure." the jester said with a kind smile before gazing ahead, glancing around. "Hmm… Where do you think that key could have gone?"

"I'm not sure." Alice replied, too nervous to glance at Joker so instead speaking to the ground. "I thought we should retrace my steps, but to be honest I'm not sure where we are right now…"

White sighed. "So we're lost. That won't help us in the slightest. I suppose we'll need to pick up some materials for camping."

"Camping?" the brunette blinked at the man, a little baffled.

"It's certainly not my first choice, but it's sure to rain soon, and we wouldn't want the foreigner catching a cold, now would we? The search would be very prolonged if that were to happen…" White mused, smirking at the girl. Alice took a shaky step backwards, nodding once.

"N-No, we don't want that." the brunette said, not enjoying the look White gave her. It didn't matter if he was a woman or not; the jester still had a certain edge to him that send chills down her spine. Yet he was so kind… She hardly knew what to believe of him anymore.

"Then let's go." White's smile was pure and gentle as he lead the woman into a nearby supplies store, but Alice's lips pressed together in a firm line, following behind. She just wasn't sure anymore. Why was she so hesitant to trust him? She lived with the man for God's sake! There was no reason _not _to trust him! But still…

Staring up at the man as he carelessly picked out a red tent and sleeping bags, she just didn't know.

* * *

Well, White was right. The rain did start, and surprisingly fast. By the time the couple had exited the store, water was already pourning in buckets from above, and thunder roared like a lion on the prowl. It wasn't until lightning flashed on their way to Clover Tower that they decided it was time to hide in the trees and build their campsite.

Alice now stood under a rather large tree; attempting to keep herself safe from the on slaughter of rain around them. She could just barely make out the jester's form only a few feet away as he set up the tent inside and out. Sometimes he would disappear completely- more so with the blinding lightning that seemed too close for comfort.

"White!" she called, only to have her voice drowned out with the crashing thunder. Wind swirled around her rashly, sending her skirts flying in different directions. Attempting to hold it down, she called again, "WHITE!"

The jester tilted his head briefly in her direction- at least, she thought he did. It was so hard to tell with this damned rain and wind! "Hmm?"

"Is the tent almost done?" she shouted over the thunder, cupping her hands around her mouth as if it would make her louder.

"What was that?" White called, unable to hear the foreigner.

Raising her voice, Alice cried, "IS THE TENT ALMOST DONE YET? !"

She saw a small glimpse of red hair bob in aknowledgement. "Yes, but be careful."

The brunette, squinted warily, afraid to step out under the safe environment of the tree and into this mad jungle of rain. However, when through this storm she caught a small glimpse of the tent, the maiden stumbled forward uneasily, almost tripping over herself.

Clumsily slipping on the mud-soaked ground, the foreigner let out a little yelp as she fell forward; luckily being caught by the jester during her fall so she didn't land face-first into the dirt.

"I told you to be careful, didn't I?" White said, though his words were barely heard through the howling wind. Knowing she wouldn't reply, the jester helped the maiden to her feet and shuffled her inside; zipping up the tent tightly so the wind could be drowned out… a little.

Alice sighed in relief, her small frame shivering violently inside the pent-up fabric. She was soaked. She hadn't even been under the rain for five minutes, and her dress was drenched, and her hair slicked down on her face.

"You'll catch a cold if you stay like this." Joker said, earning the woman's attention as he knelt in front of her; a blanket suddenly draping itself around the foreigner from behind. She blinked, moving the hair from her eyes to look up at him.

"T-T-Thank y-y-you." she replied through chattering teeth, snuggling closer in the fleece. She looked at White now- _really _looked at him. He was worse than her! His skin looked pale, and his clothes were soaked and heavy. His skirt looked like it weight a ton, and his jester sat ran in waterfalls in the corner of the tent.

As White took his jacket off, he noticed the gaze of a concerned foreigner, and quirked an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

Alice frowned, carefully arising from her seat on the floor and crawling over to him, slinging her blanket around his shoulders as well. White blinked in confusion. "You're more frozen than me, standing out in the rain like that." she explained, scooting next to him so they could both have more warmth. "Try to stay warm. You don't want to catch a cold either."

White stared at her blankly a little, but gradually turned away, leaning his head lightly against hers. It was quiet between the duo; only the roar of a raging thunderstorm outside kept them awake. For once- once in her entire life- Alice felt… _comfortable _with White Joker. She didn't mind resting her head on his arm, or his head resting atop hers. It felt so strange, actually not having the feeling of danger vibrating of off him.

Glancing briefly at him again, she frowned. Now she remembered why she felt more at ease now. He was a woman; not a man. His gentle, feminine exterior had fooled her briefly, reminding her of a familiar time- a time when she and her sister could sit like this during a storm without worry. He didn't _look _like a predator, but she knew there was something inside of him she should stay away from.

"Alice." White suddenly spoke, and the female jumped, face flushing. Crap! Could he have somehow read her mind?

"Yes?" she asked, a little nervous and wary.

"Do you remember a while back? In February?" Alice blinked. February? "Yes…?" she answered uncertainly. What did he want to know about February?

"Do you remember when we kissed?" he asked. The foreigner gulped, her cheeks staining in a crimson red. How could she forget _that?_ His tongue… her tongue… It was like a snake and its prey; that deadly look he gave her that shut her up and gave herself to him… It was a memory she'd rather forget.

Alice nodded, wishing she wouldn't have to speak aloud.

The jester smiled softly, this time turning towards the blushing maiden. "It was nice."

Alice was taken aback; stunned. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She closed it. Open, close, open, close. She looked like a fish. White analyzed her face, a little put off and slightly amused by her speechlessness.

Finally, mustering up some words, the woman spoke, "E-Erm… I… I'm glad you liked it?" What else could she say? What was she supposed to say?

Words seemed at a loss for her once more, because White leaned forward, and all senses rushed back up to her body, screaming danger. A smirk drew itself across his thin lips, and a single rube eye stared at her desirably.

"You don't sound so sure." the jester taunted, a little cocky as he rested his hands on either side of her; looming over. "Perhaps we should give it another try."

"E-Excuse me?" Alice squeaked, panicked. Yes, definitely dangerous.

White leaned in closer, enjoying her discomfort. The smile on his face was kind, but she knew his intentions were another story. "Don't look so panicked, Alice. I promise not to bite." His smile twisted into a smirk, his eyes half-lidded. It looked so strange, but no less dangerous on him in such a womanly form. "That is, unless you truly want it."

"Absolutely not!" the maiden was quick to protest, shaking her head violently from side to hide; her cheeks flushed.

"You look nervous. Are you thinking naughty things?" White teased, caressing the side of her cheek. The woman's face turned beat red; teal eyes wide and frightened.

"N-No!" she squeaked, flinching.

There was a difference between her fear of White and Black; a big difference. She'd never really noticed the differences before until now. She felt a little stupid, really. After visiting these men for almost a year now- living with them for over a month- she should have known how their true personalities reacted with her.

But she never realized until now how truly terrifying it all was.

When Black molested her, she had no problem pushing him away. Hell, he was just doing it to piss her off half the time. She didn't have to always take him seriously. Sure, she was terrified he would go all the way one day- just take her without a second thought or care, make her his inside and out. That didn't mean she would give him the chance to make it a reality.

But with White things were entirely different.

His gaze chilled her blood cold and captured her precious eyes in a stare that she very rarely dared to look away from. His smile was never pure; she may have once thought it was, but there was always something hidden behind his grins. His true intentions were a mystery to her at times; she never knew what he wanted, most of all from her. He scared her- it really did. The way he touched her, the way he spoke to her… just his presence had diminished from comfortable and relaxed to nervous and edgy.

But what scared her the most was that part of her was okay with that.

During her silence, White leaned forward; his features softening slightly, his lips parted. She knew what he was going to do. She wanted to move- to slide away and run as far as she could from his tent, uncaring about the storm. She couldn't, though. She was numb; trapped before him, like a robin stuck in a cage.

He prowled closer, and Alice closed her eyes tightly, lips parted slightly as well; nervous breath hitching through uncertainly. She could feel him nearing; his breath fanning her face lightly. Brushing across her lips. She anticipated it, waiting for him to strike.

It never came.

She suddenly felt a cold breeze run across her, and the foreigner cautiously opened her eyes, blinking in confusion. White sat in front of her- a foot or so away- with a kind, gentle smile on his face; his head tilted, and wine red locks tilting with it.

"I was only joking, Alice. You needn't look so worried." he teased, poking her cheek playfully. Alice blinked again, sighing in relief before glaring at him. How… How dare he! He had her scared to death!

"That wasn't very funny." Alice huffed, intending for her voice to come out curt and uncomfortable, but instead it came out nervous and unsure. White smiled.

"You should be more careful… In case next time the one kissing you _isn't _joking." the jester ran his thumb gently across the foreigner's bottom lip. Alice shuddered, flinching away. White pulled his hand back, sighing.

"We should get to bed." the brunette murmured, already crawling over to one of the red sleeping bags set up in the tent, scooting it farthest wall away from him. This did not go unnoticed to the jester, but he smiled nonetheless, turning to his own bag.

"Goodnight, Alice." he said, unbuttoning his shirt a little- still keeping it high enough to cover his unmentionables- before slipping into the bag, prepared to fall asleep.

Alice frowned at the wall in front of her, closing her eyes. "Goodnight."

* * *

Hours passed. It couldn't be later than three, or earlier than twelve. He really wasn't sure, to be honest, and he really didn't care. All that mattered was _her_.

He sat on top of his sleeping bag, legs spread out in front of him; a single stare on the sleeping brunette just a few feet away; her face disguised by a few strands of silky hair and the safety of a pillow. She looked so peaceful asleep- so gentle, so innocent.

It confused him.

He hated her. At least, he was supposed to. She took his counterpart and changed him. She broke his cold, heartless exterior and made him into a disgusting marshmallow. Black was weak now- she manipulated him, and neither of them even knew it.

And yet, staring at her asleep at his feet, he was fascinated. How she could change _Joker _to such a degree… It was so frustrating, and yet so… captivating. She had a power to make believe- enchant everyone with words and give them a change in heart, or clock in this matter. He wanted to know more about this power; more about her special abilities.

He wanted _her._

It was far from an obsession by now, he knew. He needed to have her- he _had _to have her. He craved her; she haunted his thoughts. To lock her up in a cell and keep her as his forever. It sounded like music to his ears. How was it fair his look alike was winning her heart? That cold, ruthless man winning the girl over- becoming the one allowed to hold her and learn her secrets? It was absurd. Was he not kinder, more welcoming to her from the very beginning? Had he not been patient and pleasant, waiting? How could Black get her instead?

Hmph. Life wasn't fair, he decided. So, he would just have to make it fair. He simply couldn't sit around and let her waltz out of his grasp. He had to do something about it if he were to take her as his and his alone.

The jester crawled forth out of his position, looming over the sleeping maiden. Carefully, he brushed her hair from her face, smiling down at her dreamy, sleeping form. Gingerly, he leaned forward, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"I'll see you in the morning… Alice."

* * *

**Hope you guys liked this chapter! :DDD White's getting a little on the possessive side, isn't he. ;3 Oh dear… This will be interesting. ;D**

**On a side note, EarthRiddle and I have started a HnKnA Roleplay on Facebook if anyone's interested. We have a few spaces open, so if anyone's interested just PM me and I'll send you a list of the characters that are available. :DD**

**Hmm… I guess that's it for now. Probably gonna work on RMR next, if not this or CoC again. I want these DONE already, and I'm sure you all do, too. X'DD**


	6. You're Drunk!

**6. You're Drunk!**

"Mmm…" the foreigner didn't bother to rise as she rolled over in her sleeping bag, cuddling closer in the silk. The soft pitter-patter of rain continued outside gloomily, but she ignored it, curling against the ground. She was so tired…

"Ah…"

Alice blinked her eyes open at this new sound, breath fanning across her forehead as she awoke. Beside her lay Joker, his face resting peacefully against hers, one arm wound around her waist. He was curled in her sleeping back, allowing her head to rest on one of his arms; their bodies pressed together in the small space.

"GYAH!" the foreigner cried out, awakening the man abruptly. Joker winced at the sudden loud noise, rubbing his visible ear.

"Are you always so loud in the morning?" White asked, mildly curious as he tried to adjust to the light.

"W-What are you doing in my sleeping bag? !" Alice demanded, attempting to scoot away from the man, but the space was too small for her to move. She tried reaching for the zipper, but when she felt nothing she realized it was on his side. Damned bastard. Figures he'd keep it out of reach.

"Hmm?" White's expression remained fairly innocent as he spoke, almost as if this was normal. "Why, you looked cold in your sleep of course. Body heat is the best transfer to make you warmer."

"Why didn't you just put a blanket on me?" the outside growled, unamused with his games.

"What's the fun in that?" he asked with a smile, tapping her nose. The foreigner blushed, but more so out of anger than embarrassment, swatting his hand away.

"Honestly! Do tents just naturally turn men into perverts? !" Alice demanded in frustration, attempting to squeeze out of the sleeping bag. Noticing her actions, White unzipped it, allowing her to crawl out and away freely.

"That's rather rude, princess. I did work in the pouring rain to set this up for you, didn't I?" Joker argued gently, climbing out of the sleeping bag as well before rolling it up. Alice opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out, so she turned her head and pouted.

"When will the rain stop? I need to keep looking for the key." The foreigner changed the subject, frowning at the tent flap. That's right; it would be difficult searching for the object in the pouring rain. For all she knew it could be buried in several layers of mud by now. She frowned at the thought.

"It won't." Joker replied simply. Alice snapped her head in his direction.

"What?"

"Until the game ends, it will keep raining. It won't stop." White explained. Alice groaned at such a thought, palming herself. That was the last answer she was looking for.

"But what if I dropped it outside?" the foreigner fretted, her eyebrows knitting together stressfully. "It could be anywhere now! I'll never be able to find it!"

"Please don't panic, princess." Joker said, suddenly at her side. Alice blinked, cringing away slightly- unnerved by his sudden movement. He smiled down at her like a pure gentleman, but this did not make her any less nervous. "I'm sure we will find it soon enough."

"…I guess…" she answered, though her words lacked confidence.

White placed a careful arm around her shoulder; his thumb stroking along her arm. Alice glanced at his gesture, biting her lip uncertainly. She felt frozen under him; as if her body had gone numb. "We'll look for it right now. Will that cheer you up?"

Alice smiled, but it didn't touch her eyes. "Sure."

White grinned. "Then we'll go now."

* * *

The rain was unmerciful; cold, harsh and unforgiving. Pointed black shoes and red heels sloshed through the muddy ground, splashes of brown slipping onto their legs. Alice flinched- even squeaking once when she felt a worm slide into her shoe.

"Eep!" she cried, feeling the slimy monster wiggle between her toes. She squished uncomfortably about, trying to not destroy the worm in her shoe while attempting not to step on it.

White noticed her odd dance, and with a quirked eyebrow asked, "What's wrong, princess?"

"W-Worm!" she stammered, trying to undo her shoe- unsuccessfully struggling with the clasp. Kneeling down, White helped pull her shoe off, tossing the worm back into the mud before placing the shoe back on her foot.

"There you are." the jester said with a pleasant smile, arising back to his feet. Alice blinked, pressing her lips together a little.

"Thank you." she clumsily spoke, quickly taking his outstretched hand and following him through the forest. Eyebrows pinned together, she looked around. "I can't tell left from right with the rain here."

"We're not far from the circus." the jester said, reassuring her a little as he pulled a blinding branch out of the way. "See?"

Sure enough, a large, colorful circus tent awaited them- however, it seemed much more eerie and gloomy than she remembered. There were no excited customers, nor jester children running around. The animals' noises had died down, and all that filled the air was the threatening storm above- lightning striking down close enough to cause the maiden to squeak, and thunder roaring in her ears. She felt as if she'd just stepped into a horror film.

She felt a tug at Joker's hand, and she quickly tagged along; wincing as rain poured down on her and soaked her gown before she could duck into the tent. Rather, the prison- it had immediately transformed when they stepped inside.

Alice let in a sigh of relief, attempting to weakly wring out her skirt, though the cold water that splashed against the floor reached her legs, and she jumped, not having expected the sudden contact.

"Where the f*** were you? !" The duo spun around- a smirk on the ringmaster's lips while Alice remained blank- to face Black; a glare in his single ruby eye and arms crossed firmly in front of his chest.

"We went looking for the key." Alice explained, tilting her head to the side. "We told you that before we left."

"I know what the hell you were doing, bitch!" The warden snapped, causing the girl to flinch. "I'm asking why the hell you were out all night!"

Alice's eyebrows pinned together, frowning. The look he gave them… He looked frustrated.. And.. No, it couldn't be. Not Black! She must have been seeing things. She could have sworn he looked _jealous! _She must be losing her mind to consider such an idea!

But if…

"Black." the foreigner said his name unsurely, tilting her head to the side. It sounded alien on her tongue. "Are you… upset?"

"You tell me!" He hissed, his lone ruby eye glaring harshly into her. She flinched. Well, no doubt he was upset.

Deciding to reword her phrase, she hesitantly asked, "But… why? Why are you mad?"

"You're supposed to be doing f*cking work around here! I had to clean up the circus, clean up the prison, and be harassed by those f*cking ingrates, and you're asking why the hell I'm mad!" He snapped, storming up to her; his tall, lean body leaning over hers. It didn't matter if he was a woman now or not; he was still fairly taller than her, with just as much intimidation. She took a shaky step backwards, not enjoying the narrow distance between them. "Why the hell do you think I'm mad? !"

She felt her mouth go dry; nervous and unsure. Should she ask him? No! Of course he would deny it- he wouldn't be jealous if he didn't like her.

Did he? Flustered and nervous, Alice twiddled her fingers, pressing her lips together in a firm line. Why did she suddenly feel so uncertain? She felt color rush to her cheeks, and she glanced around. She didn't want to look up at him; she had to find a distraction, because she knew if she looked up at his face, she was sure to make an idiot of herself.

But she wanted to know. His actions, his speech… It had certainly taken her a while, but she could feel herself putting it all together. She was an idiot not to notice it until now. But what if she was wrong? She would just make herself look like an idiot. What was a girl to do? His glare didn't help her in the slightest. He seemed profoundly irritated. Taking a deep breath, she took a risk. "Black…Is that… that you… _like_ me?"

Her teal pools met his single one cautiously, almost frightened. He stared at her blankly, and her nerves felt even more so a wreck than before. Did she phrase it wrong? Should she have remained quiet? The awkward tension was something that sent her stomach in flips, and a splash of color to her face. White rose an eyebrow at the two, remaining silent at their side.

Finally, Black broke the silence.

"Are you drunk?"

Alice blinked, all color lost from her face. _..What?_

Turning to his look alike, the warden glared, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "What the hell did you feed her?"

White smiled- a pleasantly false grin- and answered, "Absolutely nothing."

His twin didn't buy it. "C'mon. What was it? Wine? Rum? Did you give her drugs?"

"I'm not drunk!" Alice cried, glaring up at the man. "And I'm not drugged!"

"Tch. Could've fooled me." the warden muttered, sparing a glare down at the girl. The brunette gritted her teeth, hands balling into fists. How dare he! Here she was, frightened like a child without its mother, asking in all honesty a question she feared of speaking aloud- for whatever unknown reason, she wasn't sure- and he called her _drunk and drugged! _He was impossible!

"I would never drink, or take drugs, for your information, Black! I'm perfectly fine!" She stamped her foot rather childishly on the ground, hands on her hips. She lifted her chin to feel superior, though it only gave herself a better view of the tall figure.

"No. You're more of a f*cking idiot than usual." the warden answered bluntly. Alice glared, her body tensing up.

"I am not an idiot! You just don't know how to treat a lady with respect." she snapped.

"I didn't know there was a f*cking lady here." Black remarked.

Alice huffed, smirking. "Apparently you haven't taken a look in the mirror today."

The warden gritted his teeth, reaching for his whip. "Did you f*cking say something, bitch?"

Deciding it was time to intervene, White stepped between the two; placing one arm around Alice to hold her upright as she began to stumble into a fall, and placing another on Black's chest- rather awkwardly- to keep the two apart. "Now, now, Joker. We mustn't hurt the young miss. Don't be so hasty."

Black glared at his counterpart, straightening up. Through gritted teeth, he growled, "Tch. She wouldn't be worth my time." Alice's eyebrows pinned together in annoyance at his reply, but spoke nothing else. Turning around, the warden began to walk down the hall, calling over his shoulder, "I have work to do. Go f*cking do yours."

"Wait! You didn't answer my question." Alice blurted out, watching his retreating figure in frustration.

"It was stupid. I don't have to answer." he snapped. She opened her mouth to speak again, but he had already disappeared around the bend. Alice sighed, frowning sadly at her feet.

White noticed this and rose an eyebrow, sugar coating his voice as he asked, "Is something wrong, princess?" Alice sighed. "He's impossible."

Though outside she seemed to have given up her fight, inwardly she was determined. Ignoring her question was sure to be a sign! Perhaps he did like her…

But how could she find out?

Shaking her head, she sighed, walking in the opposite direction- heading back to her room. Why did she care? Why was she so hung up on this? It was ridiculous. So what if he liked her or not? She shouldn't be so hung up on it. It was _Black! _Why did it matter if he cared about her not? Knowing him, he probably didn't.

Realization hit her hard and cold, like a sudden blizzard in July- which surely was possible in Wonderland, no doubt. She felt as if she had been drowned in stupidity all this time, and was finally resurfacing. How could she be so dense? How could she ever possibly be so _stupid?_ She was a complete idiot! An utter, entire idiot!

It all made sense now. Why she was so obsessed with him; why she cared about what he did, what he said. Why his vague answer to her question left her confused and frustrated. She was so stupid not to have noticed it before! What a complete moron! She mentally scolded herself for her own stupidity. It made so much sense now. The reason she insisted on knowing if Black liked her or not wasn't because she was nosy and irritated.

It was because _she_ liked _him_.

* * *

**SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG DX School really got in my way these past couple months. Luckily today is my last day of school, so expect more, quicker updates! :D Maybe I can finally finish a couple stories. X'DD I know that I might cut RMR a little short. CoC is going well, too. YAY FOR BEING ABLE TO FINISH STORIES EVENTUALLY ^^**

**Now, I dunno if I'm going to use this idea for the next chapter or a few chapters away, but what Alice does to find out if Black likes her or not is based after a HnKnA Roleplay I am in on Facebook. (I'm Black. ;D) Depending on how this story goes, I might have to put it off to the next one, but I'mma try to fit it in here. ^^ So expect a little humor in that chapter. XD**

**So, I guess that's it for now. I hope Alice's realization makes up for it. X'DD I have a feeling I'll need to reread HnKnA routes and the manga to get in the feel of it all again. It's been so long since I updated and I couldn't get into the characters right. |||OTL See you guys soon!**


	7. A Plan of Wine

**7. A Plan Of Wine**

She liked him. Alice Liddell- a kind and gentle foreigner- liked Black Joker- the most crude, arrogant, foul mouthed man Wonderland had to offer. The simple idea was ridiculous. She, a prim and proper lady, liking a man of such low standards! He was so rude, and ignorant, and selfish, and perverted, and impossible and-!

…And caring, and kind-hearted, and sweet, and humorous, and helpful, and-

_No! No! No! _The foreigner shook her head, a blush rising to her cheeks. She wasn't _supposed_ to like him! He was a villain and she was the princess- he'd said so himself! In what fairytale did a heroine end up with the bad guy?

Alice smiled bitterly, laughing once. _Only in Wonderland…_

Her smile quickly turned to a frown, returning to the current situation at hand. She groaned hopelessly, falling face first onto her bed; her face pressing deeply into the cotton fibers of her ash colored blankets. She wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. She really was an idiot. Falling for such a man… What would her sister think? ! What would _Wonderland _think? !

The sudden sound of a door slamming startled her, and Alice jumped; eyes quickly averting to the figure in the doorway. Speak of the devil.

The warden shifted his weight- his silhouette barely visible in the shadows. His single ruby eye glowered at her, arms crossed, whip in hand. Rather than usual shivers of fright she expected, her cheeks flushed and teal pools widened. She felt humiliated and nervous. How could she ever face him now? It felt so awkward!

Alice looked away abruptly, squirming in her place unsurely. With each heavy footstep her heart quickened and her mouth grew dry. Soft springs of her bed sounded as she felt his pressure rest next to her, a skeptical stare boring onto her face.

Clutching her pillow against her chest and looking down, Alice asked in a squeaky voice, "Is there something you wanted, Black?"

The warden leaned forward, and her eyes widened; his shadow casting over her. Hot breathe brushed on top of her head, and her grip in the pillow tightened; a wild blush on her cheeks. What was he doing? He was so close!

"B-Black?" she stammered, her voice shrill and tiny. His chest leaned forward- quite awkwardly in his woman form- against hers; their faces inches apart.

"Hmph." He said, his fingers running through her hair. "I thought that was it."

Alice tilted her head up questionably, confused as his fingers left her hair and he sat back in his place. She quickly paled, realizing what he was talking about.

In his hand, between his slender fingers, was a large, disgusting, wiggling pink worm.

"GAH!" the foreigner shrieked, grasping her pillow tightly in shock and scooting backwards unintentionally. "W-What? ! How did that get here- in my _hair? !_"

"Hell if I should know." the warden said, putting pressure on the poor figure between his fingers.

"Don't kill it!" Alice suddenly cried out, reaching one helpless hand out. When the darker Joker gave her a suspicious look, she quickly added, "I…don't want a mess on my bed."

"Tch." Black glowered at her for a moment before standing up, carrying the slithering creature to the lone window and tossing it out. The outsider watched him with caution and mild curiosity as he returned to the bed; an annoyed look on his face.

"Black…" She said his name hesitantly, casting her pillow to the side. While her eyes remained glued to the sheets below her, the foreigner carefully rose to her knees; scooting over to sit next to him. The warden watched her with a blank stare, almost uninterested. She took in a deep breath. "You never answered my question earlier." "Didn't I tell you already? It was a stupid question." he argued, narrowing his eye at her. "I don't have to f*cking answer if I don't want to."

The foreigner sighed, looking away. He was right, as much as she regretted to admit it. He didn't have to answer if he didn't want to.

Alice remained silent, thoughts whirring in her mind. How would she get an answer out of him? Her nerves felt as if they were creating chaotic explosions in her body. Her heart beat unsteadily, her face growing a deeper shade of red. She wanted to speak, but no words could form in her mind.

Noticing her frozen state, Black's eye narrowed, and he asked, "What the hell is wrong with you today? Are you sure you're not drunk?"

The foreigner immediately snapped back to reality with his words, her teeth gritting together; a glare in her eyes. It was easier to scold him now that he was in such a womanly form- it was like those times when her younger sister Edith misbehaved and she had to correct her. "Of course not! Is intoxication your answer to everything I do? !"

Black was silent for a moment before nodding. "Yup."

Alice huffed, quickly looking away; arms crossed. "Can you just tell me what you came here for? I'd like to go to sleep, thank you."

"Hmph." This time it was the warden to blush lightly- much to the foreigner's shock- as he bluntly replied, "I need a f*cking tampon."

The brunette blinked, her expression blank. That was all? When she did not reply right away, Joker hissed, "You better not say a f*cking word about this! I'll fucking rip your God damned throat out if you do!"

"N-No. I'll be quiet." Alice said quietly, though her lips twitched into a smile. Black narrowed his eyes at the sight, and deciding to not upset him further, she quickly strode to her dresser; pulling out one of the requested toiletries and pressing it into his palm. "Here. I hope this is the right size. I'm not sure how… well, you know what."

"You mean there's _sizes?_" The foreigner inwardly giggled at his shocked- almost horrified- expression, but kept her face serious.

"Aren't there sizes for condoms, too?" she blurted out without a thought, trying to find an explanation. The warden smirked, and she immediately realized her choice of words.

"Are you implying something?" he asked slyly. Alice's eyes widened; a crazed blush on her face.

"Get out!" she shrieked in a high, mousey voice- pointing to the door in embarrassment. Rather than putting up a fight, Black snickered, standing up and exiting the room.

When she once again left alone in silence, Alice sighed, palming herself. How she could ever like a man so difficult and perverted was beyond her. In such a state, it would be impossible to ever find out his true feelings towards her!

_Wait a minute…_

"_Are you sure you're not drunk?" _The words ran through her mind suddenly, a sudden idea occupying on her mind.

_No… No, no, no, no, NO! _a small voice in the back of her head scolded the debating foreigner. _Don't even think about it! Not happening! You know what he'll do! Don't give him that chance!_

_But what other options do I have? _Alice questioned herself, almost hopelessly as the idea slightly appealed to her.

Sighing, she turned towards the doorway.

_Might as well get this over with._

* * *

Bottle after bottle. So many bottles, which to choose from?

The foreigner stared up at the long row of alcohol in the dark, dusty stone-walled room. She had only come across this back room once while on duty, but had never found a use of it until now. She was quite unsurprised to have found out the Jokers kept a stash of alcohol somewhere.

Wine, rum, tequila, and several other intoxication-guaranteed beverages awaited her; their bottles shining dimly from her dull flashlight. She had found not wall switch, and she didn't want to risk an argument from one of the men if they found the door open and her in the midst of it all.

She read the labels carefully, unsure of which to take. She had never tasted alcohol before aside from a small sip of champagne on New Year's, and she was hesitant on intentionally drinking a whole bottle.

What would become of her, precisely? She had a mission to uphold, and she needed to fulfill it while intoxicated. However, her mind was sure to wander under so much alcohol. What if she went after the wrong Joker while under this spell? All could be thrown to ruin!

Taking a deep breath, she reached for a promising red bottle when a loud creak from behind caused her to jump, and the brunette let out a startled yelp; whirling around with wide, panicked eyes to view her intruder.

Her heart thumped unevenly as silver bells jingled lightly in the room. Her stomach suddenly felt like bricks weighing her down, and she remained still; frozen as light from the hall bathed on her figure.

"Alice?" White's voice sounded truly shocked as he revealed the foreigner, stepping into the dark room. "What are you doing in here?"

She departed her lips to speak, but her mouth had long gone dry. She tried again. Again. All that resulted was the appearance of her idiotic gaping like a fish.

Clearing her throat with a staggered breath, she stammered, "I-I-I was just- Just-" The words caught in her throat as the jester closed the distance between them, his feminine silhouette looming over her, creating a shadow. She could barely make out his features from the little light offered from the doorway- a black shadow before her.

"I didn't know the young miss drank." White said, his arm reaching forward. Her nerves hitched as she assumed he was going to touch her, but instead it extended towards a bottle on the shelf; pulling it forward. He placed it in her uncertain arms, a mysterious smile on his lips. "Is this what you were looking for?"

The maiden looked down unsurely, the weight of the alcohol feeling heavy in her arms. Wine. A large bottle of wine rested in her arms, weighing her down.

"E-Eh, um, y-yes. Thank you." Alice stammered nervously, looking away from his face. His eye… she could feel it analyzing her features, as if it was taking her expression for itself. "I-I'm sorry for barging in here! I planned to replace it first thing in the morning. I'm incredibly sorry!" "You worry too much." Joker said with such a carefree laugh, Alice could have sworn it was almost genuine. She felt his hand brush through her hair, but it felt out of place. It wasn't strong and manly as it used to be; it was small and feminine, just like a lady. "If you wanted a little to drink, you only had to ask. You live here now, don't you, princess?" "E-Eh, yes." Alice replied, taking an awkward step backwards- almost stumbling into the shelves of alcohol behind her. "B-But you don't understand! I-I'm not here to drink! It's… a project."

White looked perplexed. "A project?"

Alice nodded obediently, her chocolate tresses flying. "Yes! A… very important project." When he opened his mouth to question, she immediately added, "But it's very secret! No one's supposed to know about it."

"Then I won't tell anyone." Joker said simply, but the look in his eye did not give her any comfort.

Deciding it was better not to question, she murmured, "Thank you." White threw her a smile- whether it was genuine or a mask, she wasn't sure- before turning back towards the hall, prepared to leave. However, he paused in the doorway, sending a suspicious glance her way before exiting.

_That was… odd. _she thought to herself after a moment, clutching the wine bottle closer to her chest. _I wonder…_

Shaking her head, Alice pushed the thought aside, huffing once. _I don't have time for this! Now… _She weighed the bottle in her hands; her stomach in flips. _Now's the real challenge…_

* * *

**BWAHAHA! XD NEW CHAPTER OUT! I'm going to try to start updating this thing as quick as I can. The next chapter is based off of a HnKnA roleplay I'm a part of, where TweedleLaney is Alice and I'm Black Joker. We had this moment where Alice is somewhat close to the debate she is in the story now, and well… It was fun. X'DD So I can't wait to write it! See you guys soon!**


	8. Okay, I'm Drunk

**8. Okay, I'm Drunk**

He was in a peaceful sleep, despite his current physical state. It was probably his best sleep in a long while; crimson locks sprawled over his pillow, the silence of the prison accompanying him. He hadn't slept like this since he was a kid.

_BANG! CRASH! BOOM!_

Joker let out a low, agitated growl; slowly- and quite deadly- rising at the sound. His ruby eye narrowed at his door, hands balled into fists. Whatever useless, mother f*cking ingrate that woke him up at this hour was going to die. Right. Now.

The ginger grabbed his trusty whip, allowing it to melt into a gun in his hands. Heaving the heavy machinery to the door, he thrust the metal open and pointed it ahead, his fingers at the trigger, prepared to blow.

A strange, disoriented complain whined itself in the middle of the stone hall, pausing his actions. The shadow of a woman came into view; her legs weakly stumbling forward into the dim light; her hands catching her falling body on a nearby stone wall.

Alice? "What the hell?" the warden found himself speaking aloud, tossing his gun carelessly on a pile of clothes in his room before making his way to the wobbling young lady. "What are you doing _up _this late? It's three in the morning!"

The foreigner tried to take a step closer, but fell forward; two arms quickly catching her before her head smashed into the cement floor. "It's hooot~." She whined, weakly struggling in his arms.

Lifting her chin up, Black leaned close, narrowing his eye at her. "Are you _drunk?_"

"Let me go~." the brunette continued to complain, shaking her head and attempting to release herself from his grip. The warden stared at her blankly. She was _drunk!_

As he watched her squirm in his arms, his mind battled against each other. Where did she get the alcohol? Who did this to her? Did she do it herself? Then she deserves to wake up on the floor in the morning! But if she didn't, shouldn't he get her out of there before the bastard came around?

Huffing in annoyance, he lifted her up in his arms; sweeping her off of the ground. He couldn't just let her wander a drunken mess around the place- she could release the prisoners!

"Let me go~!" she whined, weak fists pounding against his chest. He rolled his eye irritably, ignoring her drunken requests as he carried her off to her room.

"It's hooot~." the brunette complained as he plopped her rather carelessly on the bed; her words slightly muffled as her face pressed against a pillow. The warden glared.

"I don't care how damn hot it is. Stop complaining! Who the hell had the balls to give you alcohol and wake me up at three in the God damned morning? Are you even drunk, or are you just an idiot?" he demanded; arms crossed, a devil's glare in his eye. However, all the foreigner did was roll over and complain about the temperature again.

Black took a moment to analyze the girl sprawled on the bed; her face flushed, her slim body sprawled across the messy blankets. She was so weak right now; so easy. He could have her right then and there if he wanted; her drunken state no obstacle.

"It's hoot~." she complained again, resembling a small child. The warden smirked.

"I can make it hotter."

"Nooo~. Too hot~." Alice whined, shaking her head; tanned tresses flying. Joker huffed, helping her to her feet; turning her around to undo her apron.

"It's because you have too many damned layers on." he explained, allowing the cream cloth to fall to her feet. He reached for the zipper on her dress, slowly pulling it down until her gown slipped and bunched around at her waist in a bundle of blue. The Joker was about to reach for her scrunched up nightdress at the corner of her bed when he hesitated.

There she stood in his grasp; her gown fallen, revealing her lacy blue bra. She was vulnerable; lost without his touch. And he was so close…

Joker gritted his teeth, quickly averting his eye and grabbing the nightgown; allowing her dress to fall to her ankles. She stood still; wide, teal eyes watching him curiously.

He turned to place the gown on her but once again paused. What was he _doing? _Any prideful, self respected man would be pinning this girl to the bed by now, and here he was, letting a perfect opportunity slip by! What kind of man _was_ he? !

Mentally glancing himself over, he gritted his teeth. That was the point. He _wasn't _a man now. His hormones had changed; his point of view had shifted. He actually _car-_

…_WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING? !_

Without a thought, Black turned his attention back to the oblivious brunette; one hand gripping her left shoulder blade from behind while the other grasped her right arm.

"B-Black?" the foreigner gasped as she felt his tongue hungrily trace her right shoulder; kisses and bites working their way up to her neck and to the jaw line.

"I told you I could make it hotter." the warden whispered huskily against her skin, continuing his assault to her cheek, fingers caressing her face so she wouldn't panic.

"N-No!" the outsider whined, trying to shake out of his hold. "Let me goo~! Let me goo~!"

The warden ignored her protests. Rather, he lifted her briefly in the air- hands gripping her hips tightly as he placed her on the bed; knees digging into the mattress below, hands moving so they were now on either side of her head, pinning her down. His shadow cast over her small, fragile body; her large doe eyes wide and… afraid.

He stared at her, unmoving now. She looked truly terrified as he held her down, giving her no escape. Man or not, he was still much stronger than she could ever hope to be. This was all too easy for him.

The way she stared at him… It felt odd. It was as if for once since he met her, she was truly, without a doubt, utterly petrified. Her body shook under him, trembling as fear vibrated off her curves. Something inside of him… it snapped. He didn't understand how, why, or if it was even _possible_, but he found himself actually _wanting _to wipe that horrified expression off of her face.

He didn't want this.

Alice watched- now in confusion- as Joker lifted himself off of her; standing up and running a hand through his ruby locks. Turning to the half-naked woman, he helped the frightened child to her feet; grabbing the nightgown.

"Are you going to f*cking stand and stare all day or put your arms up?" the ginger demanded irritably, sleep speaking to him.

The drunken girl quickly obeyed, a little wobbly, but obeyed nonetheless. He slid the black cotton onto her form, allowing it to flow around her ankles and cover her up. Assisting her back in a sitting position on the bed, he turned towards the doorway, letting out a huff.

"I'm going to get you a trashcan. I don't want you making a damned mess all over the place when you throw up in the morning." he grumbled before disappearing around the bend.

When he returned, sure enough, a gold trashcan was held in his hand; obviously not having been used in a long while. He set it carelessly next to her bed, close enough in case she had to puke.

"I should probably stay." he convinced himself out loud, taking a seat on the bed. "In case you f*cking get up and try to release all my damn prisoners. You're more damned trouble than your worth at this rate."

Alice stared at him blankly, sensing another emotion behind his words. She watched as he huffed in irritation, lying back on the bed; arms providing a pillow for himself.

Carefully, she scooted next to him; leaning over his form just a bit. He narrowed his eye at her suspiciously. "What do you want?"

She smiled. "I'm not drunk, Black."

He stared at her skeptically. "…Excuse me?"

"I'm not drunk." she repeated, her grin widening. "I didn't drink at all."

Joker glared up at her, his words spoken in a layer of thick annoyance. "You were f*cking stumbling through the halls, couldn't even _dress_ yourself, and you're telling me you're sober." She nodded. "You're even more of an idiot when you're drunk."

"But I'm not drunk!" the brunette protested, smacking a hand on the bed. "I can prove it!"

"Tch. Just go to bed." Joker muttered, preparing to roll over, but Alice stopped him. He wasn't quite sure how it happened, but suddenly he felt a warm, feminine body pressed against him, and lips mingling with his. She nibbled on his bottom lip, tensing up as he opened his mouth; allowing their tongues to intertwine in a wet dance.

Then she pulled away.

"If I was drunk…I won't remember that when I wake up." she said, looking away; a curtain of brown just barely disguising her flushed face.

"If you weren't drunk, you wouldn't have done that in the first place." Black deadpanned, and the foreigner huffed, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "Now get some damned sleep."

Alice glanced at him briefly, but chose to do as told; curling under the blankets and flicking the light off. "Good night, Black." He grunted in response, but the outsider smiled nonetheless; her eyes catching a glimpse at the full, untouched wine bottle under a pile of her clothes in the corner of the room before she fell asleep.

* * *

**Short chapter again. Sorry. DX I hope the fan service makes up for it a little. |||OTL I forgot to mention this in the last two chapters, but on my deviantART, you can see some previews of the fan babies that'll be appearing in the next installment and the final installment afterwards of the Game of series. ^^ The prologue for the final installment is also up under "Broken Cards". Take a look if you can! ^^**


	9. Hatters Gonna Hate

**9. Hatters Gonna Hate**

When morning dawned over the circus, Alice Liddell didn't want to wake up. The sun squeezed what it could around the rainclouds through her window, but she clutched tighter to her pillow, snuggling her head against it. She felt comfortable; an unusual warmth pushing against her. She felt a pressure, but didn't mind it. Were her blankets always this heavy? Were her pillows always this hard? Suddenly, something didn't feel right here.

Slowly opening her eyes, the foreigner stared in confusion at the object she was hugging. Was that an _arm?_ Yes, that was an arm! When had an arm replaced her pillow? ! Better yet, whose arm was it? !

Turning over- somewhat frightened to do so- the brunette stared blankly up at a peacefully sleeping ginger and suddenly realized the predicament she was in.

Here, Miss Alice Liddell, was caught between the arms of Joker- an arm wound under her head while he slept on her pillows, and another wrapped around her waist, holding her close.

_When did this happen?_

She tried to move, but his hold was still, despite his unconscious state. She wanted to escape his grip- pull out of it and run. Where to, she wasn't sure, but she could feel her cheeks heating up at the mere idea of this man in her _room_, let alone her _bed,_ and _holding her _nonetheless! This was _Joker_, wasn't it? Looking up at him, she wasn't so sure.

So she stared. It was Black, she was sure of it. Memories of last night began to flood her mind, sleep deprivation from before having gotten to her. That's right… she pulled that drunk stunt. She would have palmed herself if her arms weren't captured around the man's arm. How stupid of her! What a purely idiot act- he almost _shot_ her!

_But he stopped when he saw you._ a small voice in the back of her head whispered, sending a chill down the foreigner's back. That was true- he did hesitate He didn't shoot. But, why? Was this still the same Joker that tried to get up her skirt and sent nearly every threat possible her way?

_Perhaps he stopped because I'm a foreigner._ Alice felt a bit saddened by her contemplating thought, and the little voice quickly disagreed. Alright, so that wasn't it. But why…?

_Do you remember the point of your stunt? _the voice asked, and Alice froze; her hands subconsciously clutching onto the warden's arm tighter. She felt the hair on her neck stand up, her face pale. Indeed, she did remember.

It was a test to find out his true feelings toward her.

_Okay, okay, Alice. Let's get a hold of ourselves. _she mentally told herself, closing her eyes; trying to organize her scattered brain. _He never outright said, "I like you". You can't get ahead of yourself! Just narrow down the facts. _She smiled weakly. _Yeah… the facts._

_Let's see… He tried to kill me, but he stopped. He stopped me when I was going to fall, but he undressed me! _Her face flushed a cherry red at the reminder. _T-Then he… he… _She shook her head at the thought, shutting her teal pools tightly. _He began to…to… _She couldn't bring herself to remember what happened afterwards, feeling too embarrassed. He couldn't possibly care for her if he'd use her like that! She was fooling herself to every consider that he possibly could. _I'm an idiot._

"But wait a minute…" she whispered to herself, looking up at his face again. Carefully, she brushed the crimson locks from his pale skin, giving her a better view of his closed eye.

_That look…_ Her heart panged at the reminder. When he'd held her down, prepared to take her, he stopped. That look on his face… It was as if he was in pain. She'd never seen such a peculiar look on the man's face. It didn't make sense to her; wouldn't he _want _to use her while she's vulnerable? His eye… those mixed expressions of desire and regret… Could it be he actually felt _guilty?_

_And he should! _she told herself confidently. _He scared me to death! _She frowned, pressing her lips in a firm line. It wasn't technically a lie- she _was _terrified. She had no idea what he'd do to her! But…

_But part of her wanted to continue._

_WHAT AM I THINKING? !_ she inwardly screamed, shaking her head violently back and forth. _THAT'S STUPID! YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY WANT THAT!_

_But I did kiss him…_ another part of her reminded herself. Alice took a staggered breath.

Once again whipping her head back and forth, her mind was a jumble. _"WHY DID I KISS HIM? ! NOW HE KNOWS! I'M SO OBVIOUS, IT'S PATHETIC!"_

"Ugh… Jesus. Shouting this f*cking early? Whose pathetic?" Alice gaped, her skin paling into a Casper shade as she slowly lifted her head to meet the groggy, tired eye of Joker. Her heart stammered uneasily in her chest, causing her to gasp. Had she said all that _out loud? !_

"N-NOTHING! DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT! PLEASE GET OUT OF MY ROOM, I'D LIKE TO GET CHANGED!" Alice squeaked, gently trying to shove him away. Black watched her, half confused and half suspicious as she attempted to put space between the two- glad that he was awake and forced less pressure on her.

"Tch." the warden scratched the back of his head- allowing her to roll away from his touch. He sat up groggily, rubbing his eye and yawning. "I'm surprised you're so damn energetic this morning. You should have a hangover by now." He peeked over her shoulder towards the trashcan. "Did you puke?"

"I told you I wasn't drunk." Alice mumbled, frowning up at him; her eyebrows pinned together. Speaking louder, she reminded him, "Last night. I kissed you."

"Hmph. So you remember that much." Joker reached his arms up, stretching; his muscles stiff. "That doesn't prove you weren't drunk, though."

"WHAAAT? !" The foreigner's face fell in rage and disbelief, her hands balling into determined fists at her sides. "I told you if I remembered I kissed you, then I wasn't drunk!"

"Even drunks remember some parts of the night. It doesn't prove anything." Black replied swiftly, annoyed with her argument.

"But… But that's not-!" Alice stopped herself, turning away. Embarrassment crawled throughout her body, her cheeks lighting up in a blush. How could she prove to him she wasn't drunk? There had to be some wa-

_That's right! _She could hear the hallelujahs playing in her head as the outsider glided off of the bed- much to Joker's uncertainty- and tossed her sprawled clothes aside, heaving up the heavy wine bottle. Her proof!

"See? I didn't drink any of it! It's all still in the bottle!" she exclaimed happily, diving back on the bed; placing it in his lap. Joker stared at her blankly for a moment before turning to the wine bottle, spinning it over in his hands.

"So you're telling me you _snuck into our stash, and took out more wine while I was asleep?" _Black demanded, glaring at her now.

"Yes! Wait, what? No!" the brunette cried, shaking her head from side to side in denial. No! That wasn't supposed to be his reaction! That didn't happen! "That's the bottle I took from last night- I didn't drink any of it!"

"How long have you been stealing alcohol out of our stash?" Black demanded, holding the bottle away from her. Her jaw dropped.

Say _what _now?

"I didn't steal any alcohol!" she cried desperately, her eyes wide and hopeless as she stared up at him. "I swear, I didn't steal any! White let me take it! He said I could have it!"

"So he _knew _you were a drunk?" Joker questioned suspiciously. Alice opened her mouth to speak, but found herself at a loss forwards. Instead, she plopped back onto the bed, moaning. _That's not-! That wasn't-!_ Ugh. What was the use in arguing with him, really?

Huffing, the maiden sat up, growling, "Yes, Black, because I just love to drink my poor behind off in alcohol on the weekend and suffer from hangovers in the morning. Just for kicks, you know." Her voice dripped heavy in sarcasm, her tone cold.

"I knew it!" Black accused, rather loudly.

"I WAS BEING SARCASTIC!" Alice cried, though by the mere look from her crush, she knew she would go ignored.

_It's not fair. It's just not fair._ Her inner self complained as the redhead arose from the bed, watching her, as if expecting something. _That plan was supposed to work! I knew I shouldn't have tried it. I'm such a moron._

"What are you doing just standing there?" Black demanded, breaking her thoughts. Alice looked up at him, her confidence lost and replaced with confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked unsurely, tilting her head to the side.

"_Hello!_ Feminine body here!" the warden shouted, gesturing wildly towards himself. "You have a f*cking key to find, don't you? ! Go fix this mess!"

"Oh… Oh! Right!" Alice exclaimed, hopping quickly out of bed. She could feel his eye staring into her back with disapproval as she rushed to gather her clothes for the day, struggling with the simple blue bundle.

"Don't forget it's raining. You'll need an umbrella or a raincoat." Black reminded her, and the girl froze, palming herself.

"Gah! I forgot about that." she complained. "I don't want to use an umbrella out with all that lightning…" She frowned at the dreary scene outside. "A raincoat would be best. But where am I supposed to get one? !"

The warden smirked. "I have one."

* * *

"…Black is a dead man."

Rubber boots sloshed through the messy mud puddles as the foreigner and her ringmaster companion trudged through the storm, heading off to their first destination- Hatter Territory. If the key was perhaps stolen, it didn't put it past Alice for a certain pissed off mafia leader or his playful lackeys to be the culprits.

However, she would have much preferred not arriving there in such attire.

This rain coat was no normal rain coat- she had decided that as soon as she got a good look in the mirror before being thrusted out the door and on her way. Rather than a cute, normal yellow she'd been expecting, this sleek, waterproof clothing was a living nightmare.

The entire jacket was cream like skin, giving the effect of a very fake female body on the front and back in a skimpy polka dot bikni. The hat showed off an obviously printed on beach hat, while the boots stuck to the attire; cream until fake flip flops had been colored on. Overall, the entire outfit was outrageously tacky and pitiful.

"Doesn't Black have any _normal _raincoats like yours?" Alice whined, envious of the jester's simple red raincoat. Joker chuckled.

"Oh, he does. He just wanted a little revenge for his limited state." White explained. Alice glared bitterly ahead, her nose wrinkled in irritation. Revenge, huh? Was it really that, or did he just love making a fool of her? This certainly wouldn't be the first time she felt ridiculous in his chosen attire.

"Yeah, well I don't appreciate it." the brunette deadpanned, watching as raindrops ran sleekly down her jacket and dripped into the puddles underneath her feet.

White smirked, but said no more as the mafia mansion came into view; its glamorous, oversized windows streaked in pitiful rain of the storm, the once beautiful green grass from a fairytale now over watered and muddy. She could spot the twins in the yard, running around joyously in the rain, attempting to wet each other. Their long, raven hair flew in the wind, and Alice couldn't help but smile at the sight. Was it just her, or had the boys grown so much cuter now that they'd changed genders?

As if to prove her harmless thought wrong, one of them splashed her way during her entrance, sending mud flying her way.

Oh. It was just her.

"Hey, you got mud on onee-sama!" Dee complained, pointing towards Alice's direction.

Dum looked up, his red eyes wide and harmless. "Onee-sama! Do you want to play in the mud?"

"E-Eh, no thank you." She viewed the duo over, raising an eyebrow. Their skin was rather pale, and their lips blue. "Have you two been out here _all day?_"

"Yeah! We've never seen it rain like this before!" Dee proclaimed excitedly, widening his arms to gesture towards the sky.

"Yeah, it's fun!" Dum exclaimed, diving into another mud puddle. Alice sighed.

"You gir- er, boys should get inside. You'll catch colds." the brunette scolded gently, patting their drenched hair.

"But it's fun!" the twins whined in unison, giving her large, puppy dog eyes. Alice frowned, her lower lip quivering.

_No, don't give in! Just because they're girls doesn't make it anymore alright! _she scolded herself, but she could feel her heartstrings pull at their desperate expressions.

"Oh… Five more minutes!" she gave in, feeling weak.

"Thank you, onee-sama!" She didn't have time to prepare herself for their sudden hug. In a blink she'd realized the feminine boys had glued themselves to her sides, hugging her tightly.

"Preparing for motherhood, Alice?"

The foreigner winced as she recognized White's voice behind her; a hand patting her head. She gave him a deadpan look; her eyebrows pinning together.

"Ehh? What's Joker doing here?" the young boys asked defensively, frowning up at their proclaimed older sister. Alice sighed, smiling awkwardly at the two.

"Remember the meeting I had?" she asked. They nodded. "Well, I'm kind of here because of that. Have you two seen the key at all?"

"A key?" the twins asked each other, contemplating.

"Nope." Dee was the first to reply, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"We found a grenade, but not a key." Dum chimed in. Alice's eye twitched, but she kept up her smile, nodding.

"Thank you." she said, patting their hands. "I'll see you two later."

Before she even turned around the boys were back at their games, flinging water and mud each other's way. Alice sighed. She couldn't imagine children like those. Sure, they were cute and she loved to be with them, but _what handfuls!_

"You look like you're concentrating on something." White noted as they stepped into the luxurious mansion, a roll of thunder sounding behind them followed by children's laughter. Alice blinked, snapping out of her fantasy.

"Hmm? Oh! It's nothing." she explained, quickly shaking her head. "I was just… considering things."

"Considering things?" the jester questioned curiously, tilting his head as he followed the maiden towards the kitchen. The smell of carrots could be smelt throughout the entire manor, so Alice had a pretty good idea where her rabbit friend was.

"Kids." she replied, frowning at the ground as she walked.

"Don't you like them?" White asked, a little confused. "You seem to get along so well with children."

"No, no, it's not that!" Alice quickly threw in, waving her hands in front of her in denial. "I love kids, I do! It's just… I was wondering. If I had kids, what would they be like? When I see Dee and Dum… I wonder, is all."

"Ah~. Could it be the young miss is looking forward to settling down and becoming pregnant already?" the redhead suggested, smirking down at her. Alice flushed.

"No, no! Not yet! I… I want to wait." she explained, laughing nervously. "Until I'm married, definitely. And until I fall in…" Alice paused, her lips pressing into a firm line. Black flashed in her mind, and she quickly shook her head, erasing the image. Clearing her throat, she hastily continued, "Ahem. Anyways, no. I want to wait."

"Hmn." Was White's simple answer, but the foreigner didn't bother to question it, for a familiar voice- a voice she'd much rather avoid until the last minute- called behind her.

"Hmph. So the town slut shows up, and with the clown nonetheless. Who knew you were into the circus so much?"

The words were spoken from a female, but when Alice turned around, she knew who it was. Those long, raven tresses, such cruel cobalt eyes. And that smirk, disguised with lipstick in an unnatural shade of red, taunting her.

Blood Dupre.

* * *

**Dramaz ^^ Well, it's kinda late right now, so not much to say here, other than I was tired and forgot to credit TweedleLaney for major help on the last chapter x'DD ILU HON, SORRY FOR THE LATE CREDIT DX **

**I have these mental images of the role holders in female form that I really love. I should draw them one day. X'DDD**


	10. Loveless?

**10. Loveless?**

The atmosphere was tense, with a heavy air that threatened to kill. Eyes of teal and blue connected, one set contained fear, the other displayed arrogance. She felt trapped in his gaze, her body unable to move. Man or woman, it didn't matter. Nothing made her stop in her tracks quite like a stare from the mafia boss.

Testing her voice, Alice was the first to speak; her mouth dry. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Blood's smirk intensified. "Of course you do, don't play dumb." The Mafioso raised his gaze to Joker. "Hmm. How surprising. After almost a year and you still have the Joker captured under your spell. I never would have guessed _he_ would stay so long under your army of lovestrucks. Perhaps he's weaker than I thought."

"Hmm? Jealous, are we Hatter?" the ginger taunted, placing his hands on Alice's shoulders. The foreigner gave him an uneasy glance, but he ignored it.

"Tch. Jealous?" Dupre clicked his tongue, clutching his cane tightly, prepared to raise it into a transformation. "And why would I be jealous of a whore's pet?"

"I'm not a whore!" Alice quickly defended herself, gathering her courage up to glare at him. When his eyes met hers once more, however, she felt herself shrink back a little.

"That outfit says otherwise." Blood gestured with his cane towards her tacky raincoat. The foreigner flushed.

"I didn't _choose_ this!" she argued, gripping the edge of the coat angrily. "You can blame Black for _that _one!"

"Hmph. So Joker dresses you as well?" Blood's smile was harsh. "I wonder what other things he does for you?"

Last night flashed into the foreigner's mind, and her cheeks grew a bright red, giving off the wrong impression. Joker watched her with a raised eyebrow while Blood smirked triumphantly.

"As I thought." the Hatter replied.

"N-No, you misunderstood! It was just when Black laid on me!" Alice blurted out, her eyes widening in realization of what she'd said. "W-Wait, that's not what I meant! We didn't _do_ anything, he just undressed me! Wait, no, he didn't, that's not-!" The brunette panicked. "WE-WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, HE THOUGHT I WAS DRUNK BUT HE STOPPED- NOT THAT WE WOULD DO ANYTHING! I-I MEAN-! THAT IS TO SAY, WE NEVER DID ANYTHING! HE JUST SLEPT WITH ME! NO, WAIT, BAD WORDING! HE SLEPT _NEXT_ TO ME! I SWEAR, WE DIDN'T DO IT! W-WE-! W-We…"The brunette hung her head, palming herself, her face burning in embarrassment.

Joker stared at her; stunned. Black watched with a raised eyebrow.

Taking a deep breath, the foreigner asked, "N-Nevermind… Just… Have you seen the key anywhere? Please tell me you have."

"If I had, don't you think I would have given it to you by now, slut?" Dupre insulted, glaring down at her. "I don't prefer this body in the slightest."

"Right…" Alice turned away. "Well, if you see it, you know where to find me."

"Under Joker, apparently."

She gritted her teeth. "_Goodbye, Blood."_

* * *

"Hmm. That was certainly an interesting visit." White noted, analyzing the foreigner's expressions as she led the way to Heart Castle. Her cheeks were burning red, despite the rain. She looked regretful.

"He makes me nervous." Alice confessed, frowning at the mud beneath her boots. "Most of the time he uses it against me. I don't mean to blurt out random things- he just provokes me into it."

"Hmm." Joker nodded. "So what _did _happen last night, precisely?" Alice flushed.

"E-Eh, it's a little complicated." the foreigner murmured, looking away. Truthfully, she just didn't want to admit to him that she liked his counterpart. What if he told Black and she was wrong about his feelings? She couldn't face such a humiliation!

"If you don't tell me, I suppose I'll just have to ask Joker~." White said with a fake sigh of disappointment. Alice quickly shook her head in denial.

"N-No, I'll tell you!" she squeaked. She couldn't have him asking _Black! _He was sure to change the situation so it benefited him! Taking a deep breath, she explained to the best of her ability, trying her best to leave out her reasons for the whole act. It was rather difficult, but she felt a little relieved to have told somebody.

Of course, he had to ask the question she'd rather avoid.

"But why do it all in the first place?"

The foreigner sighed, glancing up ahead. The castle was coming into view.

"W-Well… It's kind of a secret." she answered uncertainly, pressing her lips together in a firm line.

White whispered seductively in her ear, "I'm good at keeping secrets."

Alice jumped, whipping herself around to face him nervously. "W-Well…" The look he gave her hitched her nerves. It wasn't genuine curiosity, but more of a seductive, sly stare. There was something behind it though. Anger, perhaps? But what could make him angry?

"Er… Well…" The brunette sighed, closing her eyes tightly. "I…" In a small voice she murmured, "I like Black, and I wanted to know if he liked me back."

It was silent for what felt like a long time, but she didn't dare open her eyes. Was he mad? Was he bored? What emotions did he display? She was dying to know, but refused to look at him, for fear held her back.

Suddenly, something soft touched her lips.

Teal eyes grew wide as her eyelids pulled back, staring in shock at the jester before her. His right hand ghosted against her cheek, his fingertips brushing her skin gently, caressing her. His lips, soft, locked with hers, moving in a way that made her weak at the knees.

Why was he doing this? Hadn't she just told him that she liked _Black?_ What was he trying to do?

His tongue prodded against her lips, trying to receive an entrance. When Alice refused, he sighed, running a hand down her back. The foreigner trembled uneasily beneath him, taking in a staggering breath only to give him the opportunity he needed to invade her mouth.

She gasped, his tongue sliding across her mouth, taking everything in. He ran it against her own tongue, intertwining the two.

Subconsciously, she gripped his shirt, meaning to grab something to keep her from falling but instead pulling him closer, encouraging him.

_Stop! _she wanted to shout. _Let go of me!_ But she didn't. Rather, a small, very small part of her _enjoyed _it.

_I'm horrible. I'm a horrible person. _Alice decided, her heart ramming inside of her chest at an unsteady beat. _I love Black. _Black! _Not White! I'm giving him the wrong idea…_

Her thoughts trailed off when Joker abruptly pulled away; hands gripping her shoulders, a serious look in his eye.

"You shouldn't waste your time on games that won't amount to anything." he said with a pleasant smile on his face. Alice stared at him cautiously, confused.

"Huh?"

"Joker isn't the type to fall in love. You've noticed it, I'm sure. He's so cold and rude towards you. Rarely displays any affection." As the ringmaster spoke he stepped behind the maiden, placing his hands delicately on her shoulders and whispering in her ear. "I'm sure you could do so much better."

"I… I don't want to do better." Alice objected, shaking her head. "I mean, I like Black. No… I love him. And… I know he can be mean…and rude, and inconsiderate, and-"

"And incompetent, lazy, irresponsible.." White chimed in.

"And a pervert." Alice agreed. She quickly shook her head afterwards. "But, that's not the point! I know he's funny, and sweet, and he has a good heart when he wants to use it." She smiled sweetly. "That's what I love about him."

"Ah, but what a wasted love it is, isn't it?" White sighed longingly, sliding his arm's around her waist from behind. Alice watched him questionably, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Especially when there's so many other _options…_"

She blinked, her eyebrows knitting together. "…Options?"

"Other men that can care for you much more than he ever can. Think about it, Alice." She could feel him pressing his rather feminine body against her back, his lips reaching her neck. "There's always _me._"

"Y-You? !" the foreigner squeaked, preparing to whirl around only to be held firmly in place. Joker hummed against her skin, nodding.

"Because I love you, Alice."

Her heart skipped a beat. What…? What was he saying? Was he trying to make fun of her? Anger built up inside of her. How dare he! He had no right to tease her like this!

_But…_ A part of her objected. What if he was telling the truth? What if he really _did_ love her? That voice, that face, those words… It sent her head spinning. It felt like.. It felt like _Black _was saying it.

_But it's not. _she reminded herself, tears swelling up. What was she supposed to do? The right thing would be to turn down White gently, tell him she didn't feel the same… but it felt like a lie. Wait, what? _Did_ she love him? Why did she feel guilty for either decision she could make? What was she going to do? !

"Hmm? Alice?" the jester breathed against her neck, reminding her of his presence. The foreigner's cheeks heated up and she quickly looked away, biting her lower lip.

"I…I-I don't know." the maiden quickly but gingerly shook his hands off, stepping away; her back facing him. "I mean…" She took a deep breath. "I need… time. To think."

Joker was silent for a moment, but a smirk curled deviously upon his lips as he wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulders, pulling her into his side. Alice looked up at him uncomfortably, wide teal eyes meeting his now pleasantly disguised expression.

"I have patience." the ginger assured her. "But don't wait too long. Joker doesn't like waiting forever."

With that, the redhead released her, walking ahead towards the castle. Alice watched him, a little frozen in place. Wait, she was supposed to be following him, wasn't she? Noticing his lack of a female companion, Joker gave an innocent look as he turned his head towards her, eyebrow raised. "Aren't you coming?"

"O-Oh! Er, yes." the maiden said, quickly scurrying to catch up with the man. That was right. This was no time to be worrying about her love life. She still had a key to find.

Hopefully, soon.

* * *

**Short chapter, I apologize, but I really wanted to get this out. We only have about 5-7 chapters left! D8 A little sad, isn't it? Then there's one more Game of.. Story. After that is basically just Joker x Alice short stories/side multi-chapters, and then the fan babies' story. Otherwise, we don't have much left. *dabs eyes* How sad! T^T I really appreciate you guys reading this far. I'm glad you like this series, and I hope you enjoy the others when they come around! I really have to give a thanks to EarthRiddle. X'DD Without that girl, this story would probably still be rotting in my documents folder. I OWE THIS GIRL A FANBABY FIC, AND I SURE AS HELL WILL DELIVER! XD …After I'm done procrastinating. xD**


	11. Reminisce

**11. Reminisce**

Heart Castle was many things; large, grand, extravagant, and no less filled with the furious screams of a raging king and his currently feminine prime minister. Vivaldi's voice could be heard from the front gates, and long trails of sticky red puddles were hurriedly being mopped up by frightful maids in the halls. Alice walked closely behind Joker, never straying far behind. Her stomach lurched and her skin had fallen pale at the sight of so much blood. White took a glance back at her.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." she mumbled, one hand at her mouth and the other holding her stomach. What a terrible lie. The stench of rust and salt filled the room, causing a dizziness in her head. She resisted every urge she had to vomit. Now was not the time, nor the place. White noticed, and he tugged her in front of him and placed a hand over her eyes. His other pressed gently on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'm here. I'll guide you." he assured. She could hear the smile in his voice.

"Do you know where we're going?" the brunette asked timidly. Truthfully, she wasn't sure herself. She'd wanted to ask Vivaldi if she had seen anything, but that might end in a cruel beheading. She wasn't quite prepared for that.

"The throne room is just down this hall to the left. Just ignore the smell." Alice nodded, following the gentle pressing of his fingers against her shoulder leading her down the hall. "The queen has a rather… disturbing taste, wouldn't you agree?"

"It's hard to please Vivaldi completely… I hope she isn't too mad at me." Alice confessed, lowering her head a little in shame. Guilt washed over her again. _It's all my stupid fault. I should have kept that stupid key in sight. I can't blame anyone for hating me…_

When Joker replaced his hand from her eyes to her other shoulder, Alice took the signal to open her eyes. The throne room was spotless, but by the sudden, loud thud of the castle doors behind her, she was convinced there had been a worse sight to see. She silently thanked Joker for keeping her from that.

Vivaldi sat on her throne a good story or two above the visitors, her eyes set in a dark glare as she analyzed the duo. Her expression softened on Alice, but remained taught at the sight of the ringmaster. Alice noted the queen's outfits hadn't changed much. Vivaldi must have gotten fed up with pants, because she wore her usual large, glorious red gown, though her feet were too large to sport a pair of red heels, and instead she settled for dress shoes. The foreigner assumed by the awkward position of her feet, it was much to her distaste.

"Alice. We were hoping you would visit us." Vivaldi spoke in almost a matter of relief. Her face softened at the outsider, her smile kind and gentle. "You have found the key?"

"Um, actually…" Alice looked away, guilty. Vivaldi must have gotten so excited thinking she was here to bear good news. Her face flushed, embarrassed. "We um… actually we…"

"I'm afraid not, your majesty." White bowed politely, a false smile never leaving his face. "We've come to ask of your assistance. Have you happened to see a key by any chance?"

Vivaldi's face fell. She fell back in her chair in a disappointed huff, blowing violet strands of hair away from her eyes. "We have not. We've sent our servants on hunts but…" She sighed. "They are useless to us." Her eyes narrowed. "White and that idiotic knave have been of no use to us as well. Good help is difficult to find."

"I understand." Alice bowed in apology. "Sorry for wasting your time."

"Oh, it isn't a waste! You're the only thing that makes this body pleasant, Alice." Vivaldi assured with a smile. Joker smirked at the double meaning, but Alice quickly shot him a glare before returning Vivaldi's kind grin.

"I'm really sorry we haven't found it yet, though. We'll keep looking. Thank you, Vivaldi."

"Stop by again soon. We wish to have a tea party with you." the queen said quickly, sulking. "We miss you dearly."

Alice's lips turned upwards genuinely. "Of course! As soon as this is all over. I promise, you'll be the first one I visit."

Her majesty clapped her hands in glee. The foreigner giggled. For such a strong, independent woman, Vivaldi could be such a child at times. It was adorable. "Yes, yes! We look forward to this! Run along then, end this terrible game for us. We wish to celebrate in the garden as soon as possible!"

"Of course." Alice curtsied. "I'll see you soon."

Joker watched as the foreigner waved a friendly goodbye and walked back out into the hall. It took him a moment before he followed behind. His clock ticked unusually as he watched her walk down the newly clean hallway, that brilliant smile never leaving her face. So, this was the girl he had laid his affections on. She was so genuinely happy at the queen's offer, even if for a simple cup of tea. It was such a silly, absurd little idea. She could easily have tea at the circus, yet the idea of having tea in the castle with the queen appealed to her more.

"You know, you can always have tea at the circus as well." he spoke up. Alice glanced back towards him with a light shrug. The smile never left her face.

"I know. But I can spend time with you and Black anytime. I miss the others, too." she replied thoughtfully, returning her attention to the empty hall. "I want to spend more time with my friends."

White's eyebrows knitted together. Oh how he was torn. This woman… this wretched, wonderful woman. He was beyond irritation, yet still captivated in fascination. What kind of unearthly spell had she cast upon him to create these emotions? He would have felt some sort of satisfaction at the very least if she'd liked the idea of having tea at the circus, but no. This was not the case. She'd prefer to be elsewhere with other people.

He reached for his clock- rather, what he could with breasts in the way- in confusion. Was he jealous? Maybe. He wouldn't doubt it. He'd rather accepted his jealousy at this point. Life really wasn't fair, now was it? Even with this woman so close in his reach, she still managed to pull herself away. The thought of Black flashed in his mind, and White gritted his teeth. No. Absolutely not. He could not have that. Not at all.

_Still…_

He chuckled to himself. Alice's answer from earlier played through his head. She admitted to loving Black, and yet, after White confessed his feelings, she just didn't know what to do. This could work out in his favor, now couldn't it? An emotionally confused young lady with a love struck heart.

He tilted his head at the foreigner before him. Black really wasn't that different from white, now was it? There is never anything pure black, nor pure white. People were never pure shades. Joker was not black. He was not white. He was a perfect shade of grey. He simply had to play his role.

* * *

Alice walked forward quietly, her mind just as puzzled and wondering as the companion behind her. Vivaldi had mentioned how long it had been since they had tea. Was it really that long? Thinking back on it, maybe it really had been too long. Alice had been so caught up at the circus and the prison that her mind hadn't even crossed to visiting others. When was the last time she played at the amusement park with Boris? Went gardening with Elliot? Made Julius coffee? Even punched Peter? They all seemed like distant memories now. Her mind had been so filled with work and the prison and the circus and the key that she hadn't realized just how detached from Wonderland she really was.

_It's as if I'd never come here._ she thought to herself sadly. Maybe this world really didn't need her. No one seemed particularly upset about her disappearance. There were no twins dragging her out of the circus doors, nor a certain knave slinking around for a good camping trip, even before this April. Was this how Wonderland was before she came?

_Wow._ The brunette hugged herself, feeling more like an outsider now than she ever had before. Maybe she really didn't belong here. Maybe it didn't even matter if she was here or not. The idea crept around her mind. But if that were the case, why was she still here?

"Alice."

The brunette turned around abruptly, snapping from her rather depressing thoughts. Joker watched her suspiciously, his arms crossed underneath his chest.

"Black. When did you switch?" Alice asked too quickly, grooming herself self-consciously.

"Why are you crying?" His eyes hardened. "Did someone say something to you?"

"Huh?" The foreigner quickly reached for her face, flushing further in embarrassment. Tears fell from her pained red-rimmed eyes. She quickly scrubbed at them with the back of her palms. "N-No! I'm fine, really!"

"You're not crying for no reason." Black pushed, stepping forward.

"N-No, I'm not, it's just…" she trailed off uncomfortably, shaking her head. "It's stupid. I was just lost in my thoughts, I guess."

Joker stared at her for a while. It wasn't a cruel stare, nor was it overly kind. It was more of an analyzation. Either way, it gave Alice the time she needed to collect herself.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked finally. The brunette nodded gently, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Um." Alice quickly turned towards the hallway. "We need to go find Peter next. He might know where it is."

"We can't waste all our time asking. We need to actually find the damned thing." Black warned seriously. Alice hung her head in shame.

"I know. Unless you have any other bright ideas, by all means, go ahead."

"You could, you know, actually look for it?"

"In this rain?" Thunder echoed over the castle as she spoke. Alice winced. "If that's the case, it's buried under the mud. Way too deep. Our best bet is asking others…"

"If they found it don't you think they would have returned it already?" He was growing impatient, she could tell. Alice sighed.

"Would you just give me a chance? Please?" she asked in irritation. "I'm trying my best here."

"Didn't I give you a chance with the last three keys? And where did that end us?"

"The game still ended!" Alice defended herself quickly.

"I'm just saying this is stupid! I'm tired of being a woman! I want my f*cking body back already!" Well, there went his patience. Alice walked forward, drowning him out. She couldn't encourage him. That never ended well.

The duo walked down the hall, one on a long rant, another in silence. Perhaps the prison guard had never heard of silence, Alice wondered. The only time he seemed to be overly fond of it was when he was trying to sleep.

"-Are you even listening to me?!" Black snapped. Alice sighed.

"I'm trying not to." she replied.

"Listen to me when I'm trying to talk to you!" Black grabbed her arm, forcing the foreigner to flip around. She stared up at him. Their eyes locked. His yelling stopped. Her annoyed expression dropped. Teal stared into wine red, and a long silence fell between them. His grip eased on her arm, but she didn't push him off.

This was the man she fell in love with. Angry, irritable, stubborn, incomprehensible, violent, perverted, unreasonable, frightening Joker. White and Black were so different. White was gentle but frightening. Black was rough, unfair… but kind. She loved them both in their own ways. It wasn't fair. They were supposed to be the same person. They had so many similarities. And yet… they couldn't be more different.

Her head spun. What was she doing? What did she want? White's kiss flashed in her mind earlier. Her response to him followed. What did she mean she needed time to think? She was sure she had it already figured out! But looking into Black's face now… Looking not just Black, but looking at Joker…

She just wasn't sure.

Alice quickly pulled away, her head hung low. Golden brown tresses covered her face as she turned, picking up the pace towards the prime minister's room. She couldn't handle this. Not now. She was too confused. She didn't know what she wanted anymore.

"We need to go ask Peter." she murmured, his rushing footsteps to catch up almost a distant echo. "I want this game to end."

* * *

**...Miss me? :3 Wow it's been a long time since I've written fanfiction… I've been in such a HnKnA mood lately, I couldn't stop writing. I'd really like to finish this series. Hopefully I can. I hope you guys all liked the new chapter update, I promise the ending to this story will be quite interesting, should all go as planned. I really appreciate all your support on my stories throughout the years. It may not sound like it, but it means the world to me that even after I've abandoned stories and moved on, you guys still are so supportive. It means a lot to me.**

**I have to get to bed now, but goodnight HnKnA-lovers, and I'll see you soon. :)**

**Also Note: For Joker fans, please don't use fanfiction- especially this series- as your main ideals for how Joker is. Joker is really just one person and Alice identifies his different personalities as Black and White. They are not two separate people nor two separate entities. They're really just one person - Joker. It sounds confusing, which is why I made it a lot easier for this series at the time I wrote it. It's very AU. But any other future Joker stories I might happen to write, he'll be in actual character, so keep that in mind.**


	12. Raining on the Fun

**12. Raining on the Fun**

"That's it. I'm done. I can't do it anymore."

Alice and Joker fell into the little red tent, their bodies creating puddles of water on the plastic floor. Exhaustion held them there. Eyes closed, lips parted for steady breaths, the two rolled over to face each other, neither willing to get up.

"We still have a few places to check. The Tower, the Amusement Park…" Black let out a yawn, evidently tired. His body seemed to cling to the ground, his breasts squashed between his torso and the floor.

"It's pointless." Alice whined in defeat, flopping onto her back. "There's too much rain. Too much mud. We'll never make it out of here." She tossed her arm hopelessly over her tired eyes, the rest of her body too weighed down by her dress to move. "We're screwed."

"Isn't that my line?" Black asked, finally making the effort to sit up and change clothes. Metal whirred against metal as the zipper pulled down and back up, a bundle of clothing tossed out into the rain.

"What'd you do that for?" the brunette asked, peeking around her flesh.

"It's going to be soaked tomorrow anyways. Might as well keep the tent clean." Joker explained, crawling on his knees to his duffle bag. Alice sat up as well, untying her apron.

Joker fumbled through his bag in aggravation and sleep deprivation, adorning a safety-pinned pair of boxers and a sports bra before he found long, oversized silky black pajamas to overlap. Alice fumbled through her own on the other side, carefully changing into a black negligee. Joker rose an eyebrow as he pulled his long hair back, watching her bundle her clothes up in a tight ball.

"Toss your dress outside." he ordered, a hair tie between his teeth as he struggled to pull the wine locks back.

"It'll get muddy." The foreigner frowned, her teal orbs running over her favorite blue gown.

"It's going to get muddy anyways." Black insisted, rolling out his sleeping bag. "We'll wash it when we get home. Just toss it out."

Alice hesitated for a moment, but eventually sighed, unzipping the front flap in a quick motion. The storm roared in thunderous rage outside, the wind smacking against the tiny tent with brute force. Her hair flew wildly, tossing in all sorts of directions. Water poured down mercilessly, the droplets feeling far more like tiny bullets than H2O. Alice threw her gown and apron out quickly, losing sight of the soaked cloth rather quickly in the storm.

As her head turned upwards to retreat back into the tent, she stopped, her heart catching in her throat. Through the violence of the rain, between the large, overshadowing trees nearby, a figure stood, swaying back and forth between the bark. She could barely make out its shape, but the glint of a sword was not missed by the quick flash of lightning cracking against the dark blue sky. She gasped, falling backward into the false safety of her tent. The flap zipped close tightly.

"What is it?" Joker asked, settling down inside his sleeping bag.

"I thought I saw something." Alice replied, moving backwards towards her own bed.

"What was it?"

"Well, it was a person." The brunette eyed the door carefully, pulling her sleeping bag up to her chin.

"You're seeing things." Black grumbled, rolling on his side. "Go to sleep."

"But I thought I saw-"

"Go to bed."

"But-"

Her words were cut off by a loud RIIIIIP! from the tent walls. She and Joker let out shrill screams as a sharp sword came swinging through. Alice rolled over quickly, narrowly missing the weapon as it stabbed into her pillow. A blood patched cape flew in with a sudden gust of wind, a very confused brunette underneath it.

"This isn't a bush…" he said, lifting the gray mask from his bright crimson eyes.

"Ace!" Alice shrieked, shivering against the opposite wall beside the prison guard. "What are you doing?!"

"Oh, hey Alice!" Ace flashed his pearly whites, his gloved hand waving kindly.

"Don't 'hey Alice' us!" Black snapped. "What are you doing to our tent?!"

"Your tent? Oooh, that's what it is." Ace looked around curiously, finally taking in his surroundings. "You camping, too? Great! Let me join you!"

"You ripped our tent, asshole! You're getting water everywhere! Get out!" Black snapped.

"Hmm? Oh. I guess I did." The knight laughed. "Sorry."

"Sorry?" Black gritted his teeth now. Alice gently held him back.

"Here, let me set up my tent instead. You can stay in there." The idiot offered, climbing back out into the storm. The tent rocked unevenly in his absence.

"And you can sleep in the mud." Joker growled.

"Just hurry, Ace." Alice sighed, using the jester's sleeping bag as a shield from the rain.

* * *

"See, isn't that better?" Ace grinned proudly at his manufacturing of the tent, seeming undisturbed by the closeness to his company.

"It's a little crowded…" Alice thought aloud, feeling squished between the two men- er, women.

"A little? I can barely breathe." Black hissed, his body pushed up against the wall as he struggled to climb into his sleeping bag.

"Doesn't it help with body heat?" Ace suggested. "We could always take our clothes off and sleep in one bag-"

"No!" Came the quick unison of the jester and the foreigner.

"Why not? You already tossed your other clothes in the rain." A sly smile curled up across the knight's lips. He set his gaze on Alice, taking in her reaction as he spoke. "Were you two having a little fun? Ooh, it makes sense now. Alice can't decide on someone because she likes women." He leaned forward on his knees- he didn't have to move much- and pressed his forehead against hers. His fingertips lingered on her hip. "Say, Alice, I'm a woman now. Can we have some fun, too?"

For a moment, Alice was in front of the eager knight, her face as red as the blood splotches on his cloak. In the next, she was pulled back against Black's chest, his arm extended forward, his gun aimed at the knight's head.

"You're going to shoot me? Haha. I'm only joking." Ace laughed, relaxing back into his makeshift bed. "Don't get so hot and bothered. I won't steal your girlfriend." Yet his eyes narrowed at the outsider, suggesting otherwise.

Joker ignored his last comment, moving in front of the young lady. "Switch me beds."

Alice opened her mouth to object, but used her better judgement and decided against it. Joker shuffled around to Alice's sleeping bag, glaring at Ace all the while. Ace simply smiled, his focus on the outsider as she curled up into the black silk.

"Aww, does Joker want to sleep with me?" the knave teased, scooting closer to the jester. Joker wiggled away. "I'm flattered, but I don't think you're my type."

"F*ck off, knight." Black spat.

Ace laughed, hugging his boobs with delight. "Gladly!"

Alice shuddered, pulling the covers over her head. Black and Ace continued their argument through the muffled sounds of the sleeping bag, but the brunette shut her teal eyes gently and bundled herself from head to toe, blocking out the noises. Her mind wandered, the violent storm outside and her friends' bickering drowned out by her thoughts. Curious wondering turned into daydreaming, and finally, sleep.

* * *

"-And now I'm just hoping neither of them are touching my body while I'm asleep." Alice finished with a hopeless sigh. The incubus chuckled, his feminine body shaking lightly, disrupting his even floatation.

"You have yourself in quite the predicament." he said, brushing his long bangs from his grey eye.

"Tell me about it." Alice grumbled, her arms crossed firmly in front of her chest. "I just want this stupid game to end already. I think they're becoming worse as women."

"I don't mind it so much." Nightmare assured gently, giving off a little spin. His hair sprawled out in the air around him. "Gray doesn't mind it too much either. He likes the frilly dresses." His face grew paler, the joy draining from his expression. "He's started to use me and Julius as Barbie dolls."

Alice chuckled lightly. "Now you know how I feel."

"It's no fair!" the dream demon whined, waving his fists in the air. "He makes me sit at my desk and work all day while he sews dresses and plays with Nightmare Jr! The tower is covered in flowers and little animals! It smells like a zoo!" Alice giggled. She could only imagine how far the lizard had actually gone in the tower. It was something she imagined Vivaldi would be proud of.

"You ought to be working all day anyways. You're in charge of Clover Tower, aren't you?" the foreigner pointed out. Nightmare pouted, crossing his arms.

"It doesn't mean I want to work all day." he huffed, his cheeks puffed out in frustration.

"I'm trying to end the game already." Alice assured, her expression falling. "It's becoming more difficult to look for the key." She paused, looking down at her lap in guilt. "It's been raining too much. It's going to start flooding soon if we don't hurry."

Nightmare cocked his head to the side, long silvery locks falling to the left. "Why are you still looking for the key?"

Alice's head popped up abruptly. "What do you mean?"

"Alice, I thought you were looking for the box." Nightmare said, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Why would I be looking for that? I don't even have the key yet." Alice stood up slowly, her eyes locked onto him, analyzing him. Her heart beat loudly, her mind racing. Was there something he knew that she didn't?

"Alice, you already have the key." The dream demon spoke slowly, making sure she caught every word. Alice's heart skipped a beat. She didn't understand. Had this search been for nothing? What did he mean? The key was surely long gone by now. Reading her thoughts, Nightmare attempted to clarify. "You really don't know? It's-"

Two hands quickly covered the foreigner's ears as Nightmare's lips moved, muting him. Alice glanced around in confusion, her sense of hearing far below what it should have been. She couldn't hear a thing.

"Now now, we shouldn't lie to the young girl, now should we?" A voice spoke behind her, though she couldn't hear him. His hands fell onto her shoulders, allowing the young lady to turn and catch a glimpse of his wine red hair before her surroundings faded into white. "Come along, Alice. I'm still having fun."

* * *

**Two more chapters to go. Cheers! So glad to have some progression here. The next story will be the last one in the series, so do look forward to that. In the meantime I'm going to be preparing for today's How I Met Your Mother Monday... Suit up!**


	13. Sweet Lolita

**13. Sweet Lolita**

Alice was not awaken by the bright sunshine of Cloverland, nor the kindness of birds chirping in the spring air. Instead, rain crashed against the tent roof and thunder rumbled in the distance. The foreigner sat up groggily, one hand pressed against her forehead while her body threatened to toss her back into the sleeping bag.

"Joker…" she mumbled, slowly taking in the world around her. She was no longer in the peace of the dream world. She was now inconvenienced by the clashing of the storm outside of Ace's tent. Speaking of which, as she looked around, more aware now, she noticed the knight had gone missing. Where could he have gone?

Her eyes fell onto the redhead digging through his duffle now, nearly fully dressed. He looked clean, as if he hadn't at all tossed his clothes in the storm last night. Alice was somewhat envious, imaging how she would have to go searching for hers outside later on. Joker didn't seem to notice her as he tucked the sleeping bag back inside it's original cover, barely fitting in with the rest of his carry-on items.

"Joker." Alice spoke clearly, watching him. The night before came back to her; Nightmare, their conversation, the interruption of a jester. An aura of anger and confusion waved off of her.

"Oh, you're awake." It was White who spoke, his head turning to show off one of his audience-pleasing smiles. "I was about to get you up. We'll be leaving soon."

"What was that about?" Alice demanded, throwing her pillow at him. The jester stared at her in shock, catching the flimsy fabric.

"Huh?"

"With Nightmare! Why did you wake me up? What are you hiding?" the brunette accused quickly, fed up. Joker stared at her blankly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Nightmare said I still have the key. What's going on, White?" The foreigner was on her knees now, her hands balled into tight fists at her sides. She glared harshly, her pent up frustration finally released.

White spoke slowly, his movements exaggeratedly calm and sluggish. "I don't know what you're talking about, Alice. Are you feeling alright? Do you need more sleep? You don't seem well. I'm concerned."

"What?" The brunette stopped, falling back onto her calves. Her face fell, teal eyes watching him warily.

"That's alright. We don't have to leave right away." White moved over towards the outsider, gently pushing her back down onto the synthetic fibers of her makeshift bed. "Get some more rest. We still have some time before we need to leave. Take care of yourself." He felt her forehead carefully, watching her face. "You aren't running a fever…"

"No." Alice brushed his hands away, sitting upright. "I'm fine. I just… Nightmare…"

"Did you see him? Has he found the key yet?" There was strain to White's voice. He must have been eager to end this as the rest of the roleholders were.

"...No. He hasn't." Alice looked down at her folded hands in her lap. Guilt and confusion washed over her, and the young lady frowned; troubled. She didn't understand. Nightmare had been trying to mention her having the key already. Obviously she didn't have it. Black would have said something. White… She couldn't help but feel suspicion regarding the jester.

White clicked his tongue. "Unfortunate. I suppose that's a dead end, then. We'll visit the Amusement Park next."

"I don't think that's necessarily a dead end." Alice spoke up quickly, her messy locks falling out in all sorts of places as her head lifted hurriedly. "They might know something still."

"If the Lord of Clover Tower knows nothing, it's unlikely the others will." White dismissed.

"But it could still-"

"They would have told the caterpillar if they'd known." White objected. "Or they would seek you out personally, wouldn't they?" He paused, waiting for an argument to rise.

"...I guess you're right." she agreed quietly. This took the jester aback, but he did not argue further.

"We should probably be leaving now. Your dress…" He glanced at the thin tent flap with a frown. "I wouldn't doubt it got washed away. No matter." He smiled, gently waving his hand over the foreigner. The young woman blinked, looking down at her attire. Everything was very slick and suited for the rain. Black and wine adorned her body, checkered patterns reaching up her arms and legs, while her squeaky boots shined dimly. She tucked her hair under a waterproof hat, avoiding as much of the oncoming pour as she could. White grinned, pleased with his choice. She then noticed he had changed himself into a matching outfit. "It suits you."

Alice looked down, a light blush brushing her cheeks. "Thank you."

"Let's go then. Grab your bag." White instructed, already crawling out into the rain. The foreigner nodded, following him quickly behind. It was terrible to see how harsh this rain had become. She could barely make out the trees a few feet away from her. She wondered how on earth they would ever make it to the Amusement Park in these conditions.

"Where's Ace?" she called over the storm, noticing the lack of a directionally-challenged knight.

"Who knows." White remarked, uninterested. "Let's get going."

As they started forward, something hard came in contact with the outsider, and she found herself nearly facedown in the mud. Standing up, she felt two hands squeezing her arms, and the glint of a blade nearly missed her.

"Ace! Pierce! What are you doing?!" the outsider cried, protecting the sobbing mouse from a fatal blow to the head. The young man clung to her, his red hair soaked along with his heavy clothes. He sneezed profoundly away from her, shivering in the cold.

"Haha! About time you woke up, Alice!" Ace yelled in a sing-song voice, laughing as he thrusted his sword up against his shoulder. "Come on, mousey, don't use her as a shield. That's cheating."

"D-D-D-D-DON'T HURT ME!" Pierce squeaked, falling into another sneezing fit between his sobs.

"Oh, Pierce!" Alice hugged him protectively, petting his hair. "You're soaked! We need to get you dry before you get sick." He sniffled, rubbing his eyes. "Or give you some medicine." She corrected herself, knowing full well the boy was probably infested with germs. "Ace, stop bullying him."

"I'm not bullying. We're just playing a friendly game. Right mouse?" The malevolent glint in the knight's eyes contradicted his words entirely. Pierce cowered behind the young woman. Alice sighed.

"We're taking you back to the Amusement Park." Alice promised, brushing his hair lightly. "You're going to put on pajamas and curl up in blankets and have a nice bowl of soup." The mouse's face lit up a little.

"You're no fun." Ace pouted.

"Don't you have a job to do, knight?" Joker spoke up. Alice had nearly forgotten he was there. "I'm sure your duty isn't camping in the middle of the forest."

His crimson eyes narrowed, but a smile never left the knave. "I guess you're right. But don't you have a circus to run?"

"Some matters are more important than others. Don't break the rules now." Though he spoke kindly, there was a dark, threatening undertone to White's voice. Alice stared at him uncomfortably, still holding Pierce in her arms.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Ace replied.

A long silence followed the two. Finally, Joker spun on his heel, walking in the opposite direction. "Alright. Enough wasting time here. Time to leave."

"Er, right." Alice nodded, taking Pierce's hand and leading him forward. Ace smirked, watching the trio disappear into the storm.

* * *

"A-A-A-Achoo!"

Pierce sneezed loudly into his fluffy tissues, the pile in his small trash can growing a little too high. His green eye continued to glance away awkwardly from Joker, whom stood in the corner of the room with a watchful gaze. There was a smile to his face, but it didn't match his eyes. While Alice might have asked the meaning behind it, Pierce was too frightened, and instead returned his attention to his blankets on his lap.

"Did the medicine help at all?" the foreigner asked from the doorway, a tray of hot tea and soup in her hands. The mouse looked up quickly, shrinking back into his bed.

"A-A little." he mumbled, clutching onto the sleeves of his pajamas tightly. They were large on his petite frame, meant for a man.

"Here. Now be careful." Alice warned, setting the tray carefully on his lap. "It's really hot. Don't try to eat it until it's-"

Too late.

Pierce let out a loud, girlish squeak, nearly knocking the tray over as he reached to cover his mouth. Tears brimmed at his eyes in pain as he muffled something about the heat of its contents.

"She warned you." Joker spoke up from the corner. "You ought to listen to the young lady."

"Careful." Alice warned, dabbing a cloth over the spilled contents on the tray. She already assumed this would happen and was well prepared beforehand.

"S-Sorry." Pierce mumbled, blowing on his next spoonful.

"Laaaame~!" a whine came from the hall outside. "What's the use of his body if I can't show it off with all the rain, eh~?"

"Is that all you care about?" A familiar, annoyed voice replied.

"Don't be a prick. When do you get a body in life like this?"

"I plead the fifth."

"Now now," Another voice spoke up, footsteps becoming clearer. "This isn't about bodies. Think about what this rain is doing to my _Amusement Park_! I haven't had a single customer in days!"

"Hmm~ What's that smell?" A bob of pink hair popped up in the doorway, golden eyes widening as the cat realized who was visiting them. "Ah, Alice!"

"Alice?" Julius and Gowland peeked around the doorway, stepping in when they acknowledged the foreign guest.

"Ah! What brings you here, little lady?" Gowland said happily, greeting the girl with a hug.

"Back off, old woman." Boris slid slyly between the two, pulling Alice in a tighter hug. White tensed up. "She doesn't want to catch your old germs."

"Please. You two are ridiculous." Julius sighed, shaking his head. Long blue locks flowed gracefully side by side. Alice couldn't help but admire his beauty even as a woman.

The small sneeze on the bed answered their question. Boris glared at the mouse, entirely unamused by his presence. "Oi, mousey. What are you doing with Alice?"

"He was sick, Boris." The brunette said gently, removing his arms from around her. Joker relaxed, leaning back against the wall. "He was stuck in the rain, so I brought him home and took care of him."

"Hey, that's not fair. I want to be taken care of, too." the cat objected. He glanced at the window. "I'll be right back-"

"No you won't." Alice deadpanned, grabbing his collar. "If that's the case I'll have Gowland take care of you."

"Ew. So mean, Alice." Boris whined, pouting. Alice blushed, looking away. She couldn't admit that Boris's cute act looked even more adorable and heart-string pulling as a girl.

"Have any of you seen a key around here?" Joker finally asked, bringing the real question to order. The roleholders stared at him, finally becoming aware of his presence.

"No. I aint seen anything in this rain." Gowland said with the shake of a head. Boris shook his head in agreement.

"I haven't been able to sneak into the castle in this." he said miserably. Alice thought that was for the best, but kept it to herself.

"Actually…" Julius tightened his hair back, straightening himself up. All attention was drawn to the undertaker at once. "Nightmare mentioned something about a key this morning. I would have come looking for you, but that's rather impossible in his weather. You might want to check with him."

"I told you." Alice quickly remarked to Joker, her arms folded determinedly across her chest. The jester sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead.

"So you did." White grabbed his duffle from the chair, swinging it over his small shoulder. It looked large compared to his feminine bodice. "Lead us there then, Monrey."

"Gladly." the mortician said, shooting a quick glare toward Gowland and Boris before exiting the room curtly.

* * *

"So why were you at the Amusement Park, Julius?" Alice called over the howling wind, barely able to push against its strength. The tower was incredibly close- just few yards more. She was all too eager to gain entrance to its warmth. "You don't usually visit Gowland."

"The fairy dragged me along." Julius replied loudly over the storm, referring to the duke's former state at Halloween. "Gowland wanted me to test his new ride."

"In the middle of the storm?"

Julius's face turned a pale shade of green. "It was _inspired_ by the storm." That was about as much information as Alice needed to understand.

"I'm sorry." She hung her head, understanding his pain.

"I assume you were looking for the key there." he said, pulling the entrance doors with all of his strength. Alice and Joker scurried inside, the mortician following quickly. Alice nodded.

"No luck." she sulked, hunching over in misery.

"Where did you have it last?" he inquired.

"On my night stand." Alice fretted. "But I looked everywhere in my room for it and it was gone! I even flipped the mattress over and moved my furniture all over the place! I couldn't find it anywhere!"

Julius sighed in frustration. "Nightmare better be of help. I'm becoming rather… used to this body. I don't like it." Joker chuckled.

"Has the knight been using that to his advantage?"

The blunette's face turned a deep shade of red. Joker took that as a yes.

"Alice!"

The call of her name followed by a loud coughing fit gave way to their host. Nightmare stumbled down the stairs haggardly, one hand clutching a bloody handkerchief to his mouth while the other gripped on the banister for support. He stopped midway on the stairs, seeming he would topple off of his heels and down onto the solid floor below.

"Nightmare!" Alice was no less than shocked by his appearance. He wasn't joking when he'd mentioned Gray got ahold of him. He wore a very frilly, knee-length dress decorated in shades of purples and yellows and whites. A petticoat puffed out the skirt, and small bows sat in a line up his chest. His sleeves were longer than his arms, and he wore polka-dot stockings and his shoes were clunky, white, and had just about the tallest heels Alice had ever seen. Bows littered his long, messy hair, and.. was that makeup?

"Save yourselves!" the incubus yelled heroically, collapsing onto the stairs. Alice hurried upstairs to assist the man, while Julius disappeared entirely, knowing precisely what his warning meant.

"Nightmare?!" Alice helped him sit up, running her hand along his back gently as he coughed again into his handkerchief. Joker burst into laughter at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, caterpillar… You look like a five-year-old threw you up. Are those glitter stickers on your face?" the jester snickered into his hand, unable to contain his amusement. The incubus glared.

"Shut up! I didn't-" His face fell paler than usual as the loud clicking of heels upstairs caught his attention. "No! He's coming! Hide me!" Nightmare ducked under Alice's skirt. The girl yelped, her face bright red as she attempted to shove him out.

"Don't hide there!" She scolded.

"Lord Nightmare?" a timid voice asked above. The foreigner and roleholders looked up towards Gray, neither sure what to make of his attire.

The lizard sported bright shades of yellows and whites and pinks all slapped into a candy-coated decorated dress. Bits of a white petticoat peeked out beneath the bright yellow skirt, and several tacky candy-inspired jewelry littered his neck, fingers, wrists, hair, and even patterned on his dress. Bows and buttons and frills and lace were splattered all over his attire. The only somewhat normal appearance of him was the white stockings. Even his light yellow shoes were clunky and tacky.

"S-Sweet Lolita." Alice choked out, her eye twitching at the over abundance of "cute" used on the two former men.

"Oh… my." Joker had no other words. He was nearly as speechless as the foreigner.

A soft mewl was heard from the assassin's arms. Nightmare Jr. popped its little furry head up. Much to Nightmare's dismay, the white kitten was covered in glittered stickers and leftover ribbons and bows.

"N-Nightmare Jr!" Nightmare cried at out in horror at the sight of his companion. The kitten dove in a screech from Gray's arms, rushing to graciously cuddle up next to its owner.

"U-Um… Gray…" Alice wasn't sure how to phrase words properly. She viewed the man over uncomfortable. "You look so…"

"Terrible." Black Joker said flat out from the mask. Alice glared at the amulet.

"Alice…" Golden eyes lit up at the sight of the foreigner and Gray rushed down quickly. His face was entirely serious, but a light pink blush tainted his cheeks. "You look adorable."

"T-Thank you." the outsider said uncomfortably.

"Can I give you a makeover?" he asked eagerly.

"Um… I think I'll pass. Maybe later." the brunette declined softly. "Actually, I had to talk to Nightmare…" She glanced at Joker, Gray's saddened expression too much for her. "But I'm sure Joker would love a makeover!"

"What?!" She could hear the jester and prison guard cry out in unison. Alice smiled at the duo, quickly grabbing the dream demon's hand. "Alice, wait-!"

Joker tried to make a move towards the foreigner, desperate to prevent her from conversing with the dream demon privately, but Gray stood before him, an excited gleam in his eye. Joker paled, and Alice happily escaped.

Nightmare sighed in relief once the door was closed, plopping down onto his bed. He waved a hand over himself, changing into his regular suit comfortably. "Those shoes… They hurt so badly…" He sat up, rubbing his aching toes. His eye met the foreigner's as she sat down next to him. "But that's not why you came here."

Alice shook her head. "You were cut off last night."

"Joker woke you up." the incubus's eyebrows knitted together.

_I knew it._ She thought. "Yeah."

"Alice…" Nightmare sighed, turning to give some attention to his pleading kitten. The white furball curled up on his lap, purring happily as he removed the junk Gray had stuck onto him. "You already have the key."

"You told me that." Alice pointed out. "Can you please explain?"

"Alice, you've had the key all along. I thought you knew that." Nightmare nuzzled his kitten, trying to detangle his hair from the cat's claws. "Joker has had it all this time."

"Why would he keep that a secret from me?" The foreigner frowned, looking down at her lap. She hadn't known the Jokers as long as everyone else in Wonderland, true, but in the time she had known them, she'd come to think of them as her friends. She'd even begun to fall in love with them. Why would they betray her trust now?

"You're in love with Joker." Nightmare spoke aloud, reading her thoughts. Alice's face blushed a deep red. She opened her mouth to object, but the incubus smiled softly, patting her hand. "I can read your mind. I've known it's there. It's fine." He sighed, looking away. "Joker is a dangerous man. I'd wish your heart had chosen wiser. I guess there's no helping it."

"Do you know how he feels about me?" Alice mumbled, hiding her blush behind her thick tresses.

"Yes."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"No." Alice pouted. Nightmare laughed, poking her cheek. "You're so cute."

"Shut up." She pouted.

"I would tell you, but I think it's better you hear it from him yourself." Nightmare explained softly, his smile gentle. "There's something about hearing it from the one you love that makes it more worthwhile, don't you think?"

Alice recalled her ex. Her feelings towards the idea of waiting weren't exactly pleasant. "I guess."

"That wasn't love." Nightmare said abruptly. "If it was love, you would still be together. Have you ever felt the way about him that you do with Joker?" Alice shook her head without a second thought. "Then there's your answer."

The brunette blushed, twiddling her fingers. "Thank you." She looked up. "So where's the key?"

"That I don't know." Nightmare frowned, his lips pressed in a firm line. "He's been very careful with his thoughts around me." He sighed in frustration, glaring at the door. "I can't imagine what the bastard's hiding. He better have a good reason."

Alice stood up, staring at the door. She was sure now. She had to confront him. She had to know what White wanted once and for all. "I hope so."

* * *

**Longer chapter than usual. ^^; I don't think the last chapter will be super long, so I hope this pleases you all for now! Thank you again for reading, and I look forward to finishing this series soon! Expect a few of Joker x Alice shorts after I finish the series entirely. I just love my Joker x Alice 3 Later everyone! :)**


	14. Mask Unveiled

**14. Mask Unveiled**

The trek back to the circus was a long and silent one. Neither Alice nor Joker spoke, not that they would be able to hear each other anyways over the rupturing storm. Water sloshed down in harsh beads against their backs, and Joker slightly hunched over the foreigner for her protection. Despite the environment's heated violence, there was a still tension between the duo. Alice silently thought back to their departure from the tower, White's face as she and Nightmare emerged from the stairway still haunting her.

* * *

_"Thank you, Nightmare." Alice spoke genuinely as she followed the now more sophisticatedly dressed incubus down the hall. "I really appreciate your advice."_

_Nightmare grinned back, patting her back comfortingly. "Anything for Alice. But you need to visit us more! Please! Don't leave me alone!" He was clinging to her leg now, begging. She could only imagine the torture Gray had really put on his man._

_"There, there…" Alice sighed, patting his head. She helped him to his feet, pausing at the stairs. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but this wasn't it._

_Joker stood at the entryway- rather, he was forced to stand by the chains bolting him to the floor. She wasn't sure exactly where those chains came from- in a bright pink Lolita dress. Ribbons and stickers and something that resembled strawberries covered him from head to toe. The man struggled against the chains, his skirt flopping about in its petticoat as he moved. If he wasn't being held against his will, Alice would have laughed._

_Actually, no. She did laugh. Loudly._

_White's head snapped up to her attention. His struggles stopped, but it wasn't at all comforting. Her laughter quickly died out, and the foreigner froze solid. White glared, but not at her. It was the incubus his gaze was set upon in a chillingly displeasing manner. He knew that she knew now. Her heart caught in her throat. The only thing keeping her from running was Nightmare's gentle stroking of her hand. She glanced at him, but he stared straight on, his face serious as ever as he watched the ring leader._

_"Can I be removed from these chains so we can leave?" His voice was polite, but there was no denying White's icy undertone._

_Alice nodded quickly, fumbling down the stairs, not really sure of how she couldn't get him out of his current predicament. Nightmare watched briefly from above, but eventually floated down to assist._

* * *

"Alice. We're here."

The foreigner's soaked head bobbed up, the prison clearly in view around her. Liquid dripped from the ends of her plastic clothing, smacking in little ploops against the stone floors. She unsteadily removed her hat, clutching the plastic in her freezing hands. White, already changed, stood with his back to her, staring out into the empty prison hall. It seemed excruciatingly quiet between them. The atmosphere fell heavy on the outsider, her shoulders suddenly dropping as though she were carrying some burdening weight.

White did not speak. He simply stood ahead, his hands stuffed into the little pockets of his skirt, staring far off. Alice watched him, unsure of how to approach the subject. Surely he already knew what she was going to say.

Gathering her courage, Alice broke the silence.

"You have the key." Her voice came out all wrong. It was too high, too nervous. She cleared it quickly, a light pink brushing against her cheeks in embarrassment.

Joker did not turn. "Is that what he told you?"

"So you do have it."

"Have I ever told you how much I hate this world, Alice?" White's voice was low and difficult to hear. His head lowered, wine hair falling across his face. Alice stepped closer, unable to hear clearly. "It's really unfair, isn't it?"

"What is?" the foreigner asked quietly. There was an iciness in his voice, piercing slowly and lightly into her skin, digging towards her emotions. She stood up straight. She wanted to be brave. She couldn't be scared and threatened by this man every time they spoke to each other. Yet, this didn't feel safe. There was something about his avoidance of eye contact, the way his body shifted to the side, when his shoulders slumped down in defeat. This was a side of White she was not used to. This was a side she couldn't remember seeing. It was a side of Joker she feared. It was his most honest state.

"Wonderland used to be so simple." He reached down, picking up a little stuffed doll from the floor. Alice watched him warily but said nothing. "Warfare and hatred." Though she could not see him, he smiled nostalgically, almost pitifully, spinning the toy in his palm. "That's the Wonderland I remember. Betrayal. Murder. Capture._ Boring._" White sighed, tearing a little at the seams. "Have I ever told you how much I hate to be bored? I've always needed to be entertained. I've always needed something new, something to capture my attention. That's probably why I was granted this role. A circus leader and a warden. Life can't get boring, can it?" Joker turned to his profile slowly, his single eye set solely on the toy in his hand. He sighed, his lips pointed downward. "But that isn't life, is it? It was so boring. So very boring. Every day became the same, again and again. Have you ever lived like that, Alice? Have you ever lived life the same way again and again and again until it hurt your head and you just want to know why you're still alive? What is the point in living in a boring world? Wouldn't dying be more entertaining? Wouldn't it at least provide some change? But no, we all get replaced. Not even death can be entertaining. We were trapped in an endless cycle, Alice, spinning on and on. A broken record, if you will. We never truly die. Our roles never truly go away. Our lives never really end. The game is eternal. The rules are set in stone." He stopped, lifting his gaze to the foreigner. She jolted back, unprepared to meet his gaze. "Everything was so boring until you came, Alice."

"M-Me?" she squeaked, unable to look away. There was something wrong with his face. He smiled, but it wasn't pure. His eyes screamed insanity and anger. She could hear her heart hammering in a panic in her chest. Her stomach felt too light and her heart too heavy. She had to remind herself to keep breathing properly. His gaze had locked onto hers, and she never truly understood fear until this moment.

"You." He squeezed the toy in his hand, his grinning widening as the seams of its neck began to rip. "Everything changed when you came to us, Alice. You've changed everyone. You've caused quite a stir since your arrival, young miss. I have never been so_ entertained_. I never knew such ecstasy existed." He reached forward, tossing the doll aside and gripping her hands tightly.

"W-White, your hands. They're too tight. It hurts." The brunette protested, trying to pull away. White only pulled her closer.

"You have changed everyone, Alice." He frowned, one hand stroking her cheek lightly. Alice normally would have punched him for that, but fear kept her frozen. "Your influence on this world is remarkable… It's perhaps even better than my circus." He chuckled briefly, only for a moment. Joker stopped, his face falling solemn. "So why is it you have to choose Black? What is so special about a man who only yells and harasses you? I don't understand it, Alice. What is so important about him? Why couldn't you have given me the chance? Why can't you now? What is so wrong about trying?"

"Is that what this is about?" Alice asked, her confidence slowly building up inside of her. "You're jealous?"

"We are both Joker. We are two sides of the same card. You can't have one without the other." White warned. "Why is it you must play favorites?"

"I'm not playing favorites." She looked away. "I can't help who I love. I can't control my emotions!"

"I don't understand you." Joker's face was inches from hers. Alice's face flushed, her teal eyes searching for any escape but his face. She focused on the discarded toy on the floor.

"This isn't about me." she said nervously. "This is about the key. Where is it, White? Why are you hiding it?"

"I want you to love me too, Alice." He pulled one of her hands to his chest. She could feel the ticking inside of him, steady and calm. "I want you to be in love with me, too."

"I can't…" Tears welled up in her eyes. She tried to blink them out, but they simply spilled over onto her cheeks. "I can't. I love Black. I'm in love with Black."

"That's a stupid thought." he whispered into her ear, petting her hair gently. The gesture felt sickening. "Black can't love. He's not capable of that. You're wasting your time."

"I know." she cried, her emotions finally overwhelmed. Alice knew, right from the beginning, all those months ago before Halloween when she'd first met the Jokers. She knew they could not love. Black would never be the man she needed and could rely on. Alice wasn't stupid. Maybe she was. She wasn't sure anymore. The female fell onto her knees, sobbing into her hands, reality hitting her hard and cold across the face. This love was one sided and wasted. Anything she did was in a hopeless dream that maybe he would care about her. Maybe he could love her. It was a ridiculous hope, and a failed dream. "I know. I know. I'm so stupid. I'm so so stupid."

She didn't know when Joker had crouched down to his knees, or when he wrapped his arms tightly around her. She just knew she was suddenly warm, and her sobs were muffled against a comfortable grey coat. "It doesn't have to be this way." White soothed, his voice a distant promise to the heartbroken girl. "I am also Joker. You can love us both. We are one. You just need to tell me you love me."

"But… I can't… I... I love…" Her voice broke off into another set of sobs. She clutched onto his jacket for support, burying her teary face in his shoulder.

"It would be so nice for this game to end, wouldn't it?" He whispered into her ear. "I can end it for you. We can make this easy." She didn't reply, so he continued, petting her hair ever so gently. "You don't have to do much. Love me. Won't that be easy? You don't even have to recognize it's me. Won't that be nice?" There was bitterness to his voice, disliking his own suggestion. "You can pretend. Isn't that what you like to do, Alice? Live in a fairytale?"

The foreigner lifted her head slowly, scrubbing away at her fallen tears. She spoke shakily, unsurely. "And if I don't agree?"

White smiled, but it did not touch his eyes. "This game will never end. I won't give you the key, or tell you where the box is. It will rain forever and we'll all drowned."

Alice thought on it, staring at him. She didn't have a choice. Defeated, she stared at her lap, her hands clenched into firsts. "...Where is the key?"

"Is that an agreement I hear?" White asked pleasantly.

"...Yes." Regret filled in her chest and Alice looked away, the tears swelling up again. White didn't give her time to sob, though. He kissed her quickly, his lips moving against hers in an odd, unusual motion. It didn't feel the least bit right.

"Right this way, my dear."

* * *

Joker paced impatiently through the prison hallways, his whip cracking loudly against the iron bars of empty prison cells. Sometimes it felt this prison stretched on forever, he noticed. The layout was never quite clear to either Joker. It just kept expanding to their pleasure, continuing onward until it would split off to other endless hallways. One could so easily get lost in here. One such as Alice.

"Damn it. Did she get lost again?" Black thought aloud in irritation, his wine eye scanning the halls carefully. He had been expecting her and White back by this afternoon, but the sun had surely set by now- at least that's what his clock said- and despite the insane storm, it should've been dark outside by now. That meant White and Alice should have been home for quite a few hours. Where were they?

The warden turned down another ridiculously stretched hallway, attaching his whip to his belt securely. He was closer to the entrance now, for the third time in his pacing of the prison. He could see the large archway ahead, almost as inviting him to the surely empty room.

_"I'm not playing favorites."_ A familiar voice spoke up from the room. _"I can't help who I love. I can't control my emotions!"_

Black sped up, quickly recognizing the voice. It was about time the bitch got here! Though he would never admit it, Joker was relieved. The possibility of her dying in the storm seemed like a stupid, impossible thought now.

_"I want you to love me too, Alice."_ It was a new voice. His voice, but it wasn't him. Black stopped outside of the archway, listening in on his counterpart. _"I want you to be in love with me, too."_

_In love with him, too?_ the warden thought, angry. It figures! Of course Joker would pull a move on the idiot! Still, he wasn't sure what made him angrier; was it that White wanted her to love him, or that she was already in love with someone else?

_Stupid!_ He internally yelled at himself. _Of course she would fall in love with someone else. She's a slut. Wonderland is full of guys. Do the math._

_"I can't…"_ He couldn't see anything, but he could hear the strain in her voice. He glared into the room, impatient for her answer. He didn't expect the one he received. _"I can't. I love Black. I'm in love with Black."_

The warden stood there for a moment, frozen. He wasn't sure what to feel, or what to say. He was stunned, but there was no denying the brief but large smile that managed to smack itself onto his face for only a few seconds. He was so far in shock that he didn't even bother to attempt to hide it. Had she just said _his_ name? In what alternate universe would she suggest even any interest in him?

Black didn't hear the rest of the conversation. He stumbled back, stunned. The situation didn't quite settle in with him yet. He wasn't even sure how he felt about it. Relief? Happiness? Frustration? What was this tightening, but swelling feeling his clock taunted him with? Nothing made sense.

In one moment he was at the archway. In another he was down the hall, lost in thought.

* * *

All her hard work was for naught, Alice concluded. Never had she hated her life so much as she did in this one moment. The dull purple key stuck out of the small purple box, placed perfectly in the middle of a checkered nightstand. Among the scattered toys and unusually small bunk beds with brightly colored blankets stood the foreigner and ring leader in the circus children's bedroom.

"You had it in the box the entire time." Alice mumbled, staring blankly ahead. White smiled, nodding.

"Everything was right here." he said proudly. "The children were kind enough to keep the secret."

"Where are they?" she asked. There was some concern to her tone, but it was clear the the children's location was not her first priority.

"Sleeping in another tent. They don't mind." Joker assured.

Alice heaved a heavy sigh. "Then let's get this over with."

"Ah ah ah." White's hand overlapped Alice's on the key, holding it in place. Alice looked up in confusion, her blue-green eyes wide with confusion and contemplation. "I want you to uphold your end of the deal first?"

Her skin fell pale, almost green. The words came out less than a whisper. "What do you want me to do?"

White grinned. "Kiss me." He said simply.

She reached up and pecked him lightly on the cheek. Joker frowned.

"No, no. Not like that." He pat her hair gently, shaking his head. "Kiss me." White leaned forward, cornering her against the nightstand. Alice cowered back; trapped. "You know how to do it, Alice. You've had plenty of kisses in your lifetime. I want one."

"I don't…" Face flushed she glanced at anything but him. Joker noticed and held her chin still, forcing her to look in his face.

"You love me, don't you?" he whispered. "Tell me, Alice."

"I love you…" she lied, the tears swelling up again. This deal was wrong. It was all sorts of wrong. But so was her love for his counterpart. There was no way she could win. At least this ended in normality of Wonderland.

"Then kiss the one you love."

She reached up, his lips pressing gently against his. It wasn't good enough. White pushed harder, kissed deeper. He forced himself onto her, hips pressed against hers, chest to chest, lips on lips, tongue on tongue. Alice whimpered, but he only traced her mouth deeper.

It wasn't until she had difficulty breathing that he pulled away. His smile was soft; simple. It contrasted entirely with her tearful face. "Don't cry, Alice. It will get better, I promise." The foreigner looked away, scrubbing at her eyes. "Aren't you going to end the game?"

Alice nodded, but her reach for the key was hesitant. White waited patiently at her side, watching her with amusement stricken on his feminine face. She silently apologized as she turned the purple metal demon in her palm, though she wasn't entirely sure who she was apologizing to. There was light clinking, and a flash of white.

Everything changed and stayed still at the same time. The rain seemed to stop instantly. Not a breeze was heard. The man at her side was an actual man now. Wonderland was back to normal, but still she felt nothing had changed. Really, it hadn't. She was still in the same situation as before this ended. She had to pretend to love a man for normality. That was one of her stupider deals, Alice realized. Still, it was too late now. It was too late for a lot of things now.

"That feels much better." White spoke up, laughing lightly. Alice didn't look up from the nightstand, her face hollow and lost. "I had such back pain from that form."

"Uh-huh." she mumbled, not paying attention.

White tilted her chin upwards again, and teal eyes met with red. "Kiss me again, Alice. Tell me you love me." It sounded scarier in his male form. When she didn't reply, he leaned closer, his breath brushing across her lips. "Please?"

Tearing up, her back to the children's door, Alice spoke softly. "I love you."

White pulled her tightly against his chest, much stronger now, his kiss rougher; passionate, excited. As though he was gleeful over the fact he'd won. Perhaps that's what it was. All she was anymore was a weak prize tossed between man again and again in Wonderland.

Maybe Black was right, she thought meekly. I am just a slut.

Her track of mind was interrupted by a light plop and ratting from behind her, followed by a loud crash soon after. Alice pushed against white's chest, whipping her head around to the now missing door. "White, stop. What was that?"

"Don't worry about it." Joker purred against her neck, his teeth nibbling at the skin. Alice pushed him away.

"Stop it." she said, her confidence quickly restored as she walked over to the empty doorway. White's teeth clenched in annoyance.

Alice knelt down at the doorway, her eyes locked on a palm-sized blue box. The cover was felt and soft. She lifted the cover gently, briefly noticing the circus door ripped off its hinges and tossed into boarded pieces down the hall.

"What is it?" Joker asked, standing behind her now.

The foreigner opened it slowly. Her heart almost broke, understanding what had happened now. Jumping to her feet, she ran, leaving the box behind. White picked it up, glaring down at the object inside.

"Oh, isn't that lovely?" he spoke bitterly to the silver necklace inside, glaring at the light blue mask charm dangling on the thin strand.

* * *

**Aaaand to be continued in the next story! I'm glad I could finally finish The Game of Fools! It took so long to get through, but I finally managed to complete it entirely! Just one more story in the series, guys. I'm really excited. I wanted to thank you all for sticking with me through this, and I'm so happy to be writing for you all again. **


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